Start with the person’s permission before you write
A strong nomination starts with the nominee knowing they are being put forward. Ask for permission before you share their full name, contact details, work place, family situation, photo, or any story that could identify them in a small community.
When the person cannot give clear permission, pause and think carefully. A nomination can still describe the help they gave, but it should not push private details into public view. If you need help with the consent part, use our contact form and tell us what sort of nomination you are preparing.
- Say who you are nominating and why.
- Explain where their story may be read.
- Ask if they are comfortable with the details included.
- Record the answer before you submit anything.
Share enough detail to show the act, not the whole life
Judging works best when the story is clear, specific, and fair. You do not need a full life history, only the facts that show what the person did, who benefited, and how the help made a difference in the community.
Keep the focus on the action. A teacher who stayed after class to support struggling learners, a neighbour who checked on elderly residents, or a volunteer who organised food parcels can be described in plain language without revealing private family matters or confidential records.
- Use dates only when they help explain the help given.
- Leave out identity numbers, bank details, and home addresses.
- Avoid naming children or vulnerable people unless it is truly needed.
- Describe the act, not gossip or hearsay.
Handle sensitive information with a light hand
Some nominations touch on illness, grief, violence, abuse, poverty, disability, or a personal crisis. Those details can be important, but they should be handled carefully and only if they matter to the nomination. Write the minimum needed to explain the situation.
If a detail could embarrass the nominee, put a family member at risk, or expose someone who wants privacy, leave it out. The same care applies to supporting documents, because a letter, photo, or screenshot can reveal more than you intended.
- Do not upload medical files unless they are requested for a clear reason.
- Blur faces or number plates where a picture is not essential.
- Remove private phone numbers and account details from attachments.
- Check that witness notes do not expose someone else.
What the judging process looks for in a clean nomination
A careful nomination gives judges enough context to understand the contribution without extra clutter. They look for a real community benefit, a believable story, and information that is easy to follow. A short, accurate account is usually stronger than a long one with missing consent or too many private details.
It also helps to show the nominee’s role clearly. If they organised, taught, comforted, rescued, cooked, transported, or repaired something for others, say so plainly. Facts that can be checked are more useful than praise that cannot be tested.
- Who did what, and for whom.
- What problem or need was being addressed.
- Why the help mattered locally.
- What evidence supports the story.
Updating a nomination after you have sent it
Sometimes a nominator notices that a detail is too open, a spelling is wrong, or consent was not captured as carefully as it should have been. In that case, send an update through our contact form and explain what needs changing. Keep the note direct so the privacy team can see what is being adjusted.
If the nomination has already been submitted, do not resend the same sensitive material in a new message unless it is needed. State the correction, name the section that must change, and keep any private attachments limited to what is necessary for the review.
- Correct names, town details, or role descriptions.
- Remove any detail that should not be public.
- Replace an image if it shows more than intended.
- Add consent notes if they were left out.
Questions about privacy, consent, or public visibility
Many people want to know what becomes public and what stays internal. In general, only share what you would be comfortable seeing linked to the nominee in a public awards setting. If you are unsure about a sensitive detail, leave it out and explain the situation in broad terms instead.
That approach protects the nominee and keeps the nomination workable. It also helps the review process, because the information is clear, relevant, and easier to assess without unnecessary exposure.
- Use broad descriptions when the location is very small.
- Avoid naming third parties unless they are central to the story.
- Keep proof documents tidy and relevant.
- Ask for consent before sharing photos or stories in public.
