Start with one clear person and one clear act
Begin by naming the nominee, the town or area, and the kind of help they gave. A strong long nomination stays centred on one person, not a whole neighbourhood full of good intentions. If the story wanders across too many people, the judging team has to guess where the real contribution sits.
Write the core action first. Did the nominee care for an elderly neighbour, organise food for a street, support a school project, or help during an emergency? Put the main act up front, then add the background that shows why it mattered. A long form reads more easily when the opening lines say exactly who stepped in and what changed because of it.
- Use the nominee’s full name as it appears on the form.
- State where the help happened, even if it was across more than one suburb.
- Keep the opening focused on one main contribution.
- Leave side stories for later, only if they help the main point.
Build the story in the order it happened
A long nomination reads better when it follows a plain sequence. Start with the problem or need, then explain what the nominee did, and finish with the result. That order helps explain cause and effect without having to jump around. If the help happened over weeks or months, mention the stages in that same order.
Try not to write the story as one long block. Break it into short parts: the situation, the action, the people helped, and the outcome. A nomination can include detail, but it still needs breathing room. Dates are useful where they matter, and so are broad time markers such as school term, winter months, or after a local crisis. Keep the wording plain and direct, not dramatic.
- Use short paragraphs for each stage of the story.
- Keep one paragraph for background, one for action, one for outcome.
- Include locations only where they add meaning.
- Avoid repeating the same point in different words.
Evidence that supports the story, not just fills space
Useful evidence should back up the nomination in a simple way. That can include photos, short messages from people helped, letters from a school or clinic, community group notes, or records that show the nominee’s involvement. The strongest evidence is relevant and easy to connect to the story. A stack of unrelated files does not help much if the main facts are still unclear.
If you are attaching proof, label it clearly. A caption should say what the item shows, who is in it where relevant, and when it relates to the nomination. Do not send personal documents unless they are needed, and avoid adding anything that exposes more information than is necessary. A clean set of four or five useful items is better than a large bundle with no order.
- Choose proof that matches the main claim.
- Use captions to explain the connection.
- Leave out anything that is private and not needed.
- If a document is sensitive, summarise the point instead of oversharing.
Consent, privacy and sensitive details
Before you submit a nomination, make sure the nominee understands what they are being entered for and agrees to it. Consent matters because the programme may need to review details, verify information, or contact the nominee if the process requires it. A person should never be nominated without knowing their story is being shared for this purpose.
Privacy matters just as much. Do not include identity numbers, bank details, medical records, home addresses, or anything else that is not needed for judging. If the nomination involves a child, a patient, or someone in a vulnerable situation, be extra careful with names and images. If there is a sensitive part of the story, describe the situation in broad terms and keep the personal side limited to what is necessary.
- Get the nominee’s permission before you submit.
- Keep private details out unless they are essential.
- Handle images with care if other people appear in them.
- Use broad language when the facts are delicate.
How the judging process reads a long nomination
Judging usually works best when the submission is clear enough to follow without guessing. A long nomination is not stronger just because it has more words. It is stronger when the facts are arranged neatly and the contribution is easy to understand. The panel will look for the nature of the help, the reach of the impact, and whether the story is supported by the details provided.
Plain language helps here. If the nominee acted quietly over time, say so. If the work affected one family, one class, or one street, say that too. The judges are not looking for polished writing, only a fair account of what the person did. Keep the tone respectful and factual, and do not add claims you cannot support.
- Show what the nominee did, not just what people think of them.
- Explain impact in ordinary terms.
- Keep the story honest if the contribution was small but steady.
- Do not pad the form with praise that adds no detail.
A final pass before you submit
Read the nomination again before sending it. Check that the name is correct, the story is complete, the evidence matches the claim, and the consent is in place. This is also the time to trim sentences that repeat the same point. A well prepared long nomination feels solid from beginning to end, with enough detail to be useful and no loose ends to confuse anyone.
If you need to update the submission later, keep the changes tied to facts, not feelings. Add what was left out, fix an error, or attach a better supporting note if one is available. The goal is a record that reflects the nominee’s work properly. Our contact form can be used for public questions, nomination updates, and privacy queries linked to a submission.
- Check spelling of names and places.
- Remove extra wording that does not add meaning.
- Make sure attachments still match the story.
- Confirm the nomination includes only what the process needs.
