Community and Voluntary Arts Awards 2026

The ninth Community and Voluntary Arts Awards were held at Theatre Porto in Ellesmere Port on Monday 16th March.

The event celebrated inspiring projects, organisations, leaders and volunteers who bring creativity to life across local communities.

The awards, made by Frodsham-based glass artist Jennifer Barker, were presented by the High Sheriff of Cheshire, Joëlle Warren.  

Councillor Lisa Denson, Cabinet Member for A Fairer Future said:

“Congratulations to all of the winners in this year’s awards. Yet again this was a demonstration of the talent and commitment across our borough.”

The event opened with a performance from the Patchwork Choir, an inclusive, uplifting choir for adults with additional needs, led by Matt Baker.

The Music Award went to AmaSing for their projects last year, including;

AmaSing We Rise, which was developed to explore Black equality, diversity and belonging within a predominantly white region. Leaders wanted a proactive celebration of culture and inclusion, that would build understanding and unity.  AmaSing projects have engaged thousands of children and families.

Judges also gave Highly Commended awards to A Handbag of Harmonies

This was for their 25th Anniversary Choirgram, a day of surprise doorstep performances and to Living with Dementia, Life with Music for their support to people with dementia and those that care for them.

The Visual Arts Award went to Crosshatch Art Workshops & Makerspace.

Judges praised the group’s decade of commitment to enriching the lives of local residents through creativity for wellbeing.  They were also impressed by their partnerships and inclusive approach that support shared ownership of Winsford’s creative life.

A Highly Commended was awarded to Trinity Art Group a welcoming an supportive painting and drawing group in Ellesmere Port.

Next the audience enjoyed an extract from the film When we meet… 5 dances, created through Cheshire Dance’s, Wanna Dance? project.  Wanna Dance? explores dance as a sensory, non-verbal language with participants with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities.

The Children and Youth Arts Award was presented to Kingsley Players Youth Theatre.

They are an inclusive youth theatre group offering high‑quality opportunities for young people aged 7 to 18 from rural Kingsley and the surrounding areas. A Cheshire Theatre Guild adjudicator described them a “beacon of brilliance in West Cheshire”.

A Highly Commended was awarded to  InterACT Youth Theatre for their achievements during the 2025 season.

These included opportunities for their young people to work with industry professionals.

The Performing Arts Award was given to Neston Theatre Festival. 

The Judges were particularly impressed by the ambition and determination to build a new Arts Festival in a rural setting and are looking forward to seeing how the festival develops in the future.

The Unsung Hero award was presented to Jess Egan-Simon

Jess has volunteered as front of house for the Chester Mystery Plays, spent six years on the Board of the Cheshire West Voluntary Arts Network and for five years, has volunteered on Christmas Day, at the Ellesmere Port Christmas Dinner for care leavers. This is on top of working full‑time in the arts for twenty‑six years; a role that already demands many evenings, weekends and community commitments.

The judges were impressed by Jess Egan-Simon’s warmth, steady dedication, and the way she consistently shows her values through her commitment to communities across Cheshire West

The David Wood’s Award for Outstanding Contribution for 2026 went to Susi Osborne

Susi founded the Northwich Litfest. Through her professionalism, creativity, and community‑focused approach, Northwich Litfest has become an innovative and vibrant part of Northwich’s cultural landscape.

The Judges couldn’t help but be impressed by Susi’s passion and the huge amount of energy and work Susi has poured into developing and running this wonderful festival each year.  Supporting audiences, readers to access creativity and national authors  in Northwich, whilst providing a platform for local authors and writers.

The final performance of the evening was from the Dee Sign Choir.  This week is British Sign Language week and Dee Sign choir are one of the original signing choirs in the UK, now in their 29^th year.

The awards are supported by Cheshire West Voluntary Action through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Adrian Sumner for his fundraising lectures.

The awards event was run by Cheshire West Voluntary Arts Network with the support of Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Picture Credit - Stephen Cain Photography.