Friends of Trent Vale Trail Nominated for Community Group of the Year

Tonight is a big one for The Friends of Trent Vale Trail community charity.

After years of muddy boots, careful planning, community conversations, shared ideas and plenty of encouragement, the group is heading to the Newark and Sherwood Community Awards at Kelham Hall. The Friends of Trent Vale Trail has been nominated for the Community Group of the Year Award, and the whole team is proud, excited and more than a little nervous.

For everyone involved, this nomination means a great deal. Trent Vale Trail has always been about more than a route on a map. It is about people coming together, celebrating the local area and creating something that residents, families, volunteers and visitors can enjoy.

So tonight, the team is swapping the trail for Kelham Hall, putting the walking boots to one side for a few hours and keeping everything crossed.

A nomination that belongs to the whole community

Being shortlisted for Community Group of the Year is a moment to celebrate, but it is not something that belongs to one person or one small team. This nomination belongs to everyone who has helped Trent Vale Trail grow.

It belongs to the volunteers who turn up with time, energy and good humour.

It belongs to the local organisations that share knowledge, support ideas and help make things possible.

It belongs to the people who come along to activities, join walks, cycle, horse ride, ask questions, share memories and bring new voices into the conversation.

It even belongs to those who have simply liked a post, told a neighbour, offered a kind word or said, “That sounds brilliant, keep going.”

Community projects do not grow by accident. They grow through trust, patience and lots of small acts of support. A suggestion here. A Saturday morning there. A cup of tea after a walk. A conversation about what the trail could become. A shared belief that local places matter.

That is what makes tonight so special.

The award nomination is a lovely recognition of the project, but it also shines a light on the spirit behind it. Trent Vale Trail is built on the idea that people care deeply about where they live. When they are given the chance to be part of something positive, they often step forward.

Some bring practical skills. Some bring local knowledge. Some bring enthusiasm. Some bring stories from years spent walking the lanes, paths and riversides of the area. All of it matters.

Why Trent Vale Trail matters

Trent Vale Trail celebrates the local area in a simple but powerful way. It encourages people to get outside, notice what is around them and feel more connected to the places they pass through.

A trail can do many things at once.

It can help someone discover a footpath they had never used before.

It can bring families outdoors together.

It can give volunteers a shared purpose.

It can help people learn more about local heritage, wildlife, landscape and community life.

It can turn familiar views into something worth pausing for.

Most of all, it can bring people together in a way that feels natural. Walking side by side often starts conversations that might not happen elsewhere. People share memories, point out landmarks, talk about wildlife, compare routes and swap stories about the area. Those conversations are part of the value of the trail.

The project also helps celebrate the quiet details of local life. The curve of the river. The changing hedgerows. The older buildings that carry traces of the past. The open skies. The seasonal shifts that regular walkers notice before anyone else.

These things are easy to overlook when they are on the doorstep. Trent Vale Trail helps people see them again.

It is not only about enjoying the countryside, either. Community trails can create a shared sense of care. When people use a place, learn about it and feel connected to it, they are more likely to look after it. That might mean joining a volunteer day, reporting an issue, picking up litter, supporting a local activity or simply encouraging others to respect the route.

That kind of care spreads.

The people behind the progress

Every community project has a public face, but much of the real work happens quietly.

There are messages to answer, ideas to shape, permissions to explore, funding research and applications, routes to check and people to keep informed. There are practical jobs, planning chats and moments where someone has to find a way through the less glamorous details. A good community project needs that steady work as much as it needs the exciting public moments.

The Friends of Trent Vale Trail have been lucky to have people willing to give that time.

Volunteers and supporters have helped in many ways, including:

• Joining activities and giving the project visible support

• Sharing knowledge about the local area

• Encouraging friends, neighbours and family to get involved

• Helping with practical tasks and local conversations

• Supporting the project online and in person

• Bringing enthusiasm when it is needed most

  
  

Each contribution helps. Some are large and obvious. Others are small but still valuable. A community project can lose momentum without encouragement, so the people who cheer from the sidelines matter too.

That is why the award nomination feels so meaningful. It recognises not only the finished pieces people can see, but also the countless moments of effort that sit behind them.

It recognises the people who said yes.

It recognises the people who turned up.

It recognises the people who believed the idea was worth backing.

There is a special kind of pride that comes from seeing a local project gain wider recognition. It tells volunteers that their work has been noticed. It tells supporters that their encouragement made a difference. It tells the wider community that the area has something worth celebrating.

Tonight is a chance to enjoy that moment.

A proud night at Kelham Hall

The Newark and Sherwood Community Awards bring together groups and individuals who work hard for local people and places. Being nominated alongside other community groups from across the district is an honour in itself.

That point matters.

Awards nights naturally come with hope, nerves and a little friendly suspense. Everyone would love to hear their name called. Everyone wonders what will happen when the category is announced. That is part of the excitement.

Yet whatever happens, The Friends of Trent Vale Trail can walk into Kelham Hall tonight with real pride.

The nomination says something important. It says the work has reached people. It says the project has made an impression. It says the time, care and commitment of the community have been seen.

There is a lot to be proud of before the result is even announced.

Kelham Hall also gives the team a chance to meet others who are doing brilliant community work across Newark and Sherwood. These events are not only about awards. They are also about recognising how much local effort often happens outside the spotlight.

Across the area, groups give their time to improve places, support people, protect heritage, build connections and create chances for others to get involved. To be in that company is something special.

For the supporters and committee members of The Friends of Trent Vale Trail, the evening is a moment to pause and take it all in. Community projects often move quickly from one task to the next. There is always another idea, another route to discuss, another event to plan, another update to share. Nights like this offer a rare chance to stop and say, “Look how far this has come.”

That is worth celebrating.

Keeping everything crossed

Of course, there is no pretending otherwise. Everyone involved would be thrilled to win.

Being nominated for Community Group of the Year is already a proud achievement, but taking home the award would be a wonderful moment for The Friends of Trent Vale Trail and for everyone who has supported it. It would be a celebration of the volunteers, supporters, local organisations and community members who have helped shape the project.

So yes, fingers are crossed.

There may be a few nervous smiles. There may be a lot of hopeful glances when the category comes around. There may be a deep breath or two before the winner is announced.

That is all part of the fun.

The most important feeling tonight, though, is gratitude. Gratitude for the nomination. Gratitude for the people who made it possible. Gratitude for a local community that has given the project its energy and heart.

Trent Vale Trail began with a belief that the local area deserved to be celebrated and shared. It has grown because people responded to that idea. They offered support, spread the word and gave their time.

A nomination like this does not happen in isolation. It reflects a wider circle of care.

That is why tonight feels like a shared moment rather than a private achievement. Whether someone has volunteered regularly, joined one activity, shared a post or simply wished the team well, they are part of the story.

Come and say hello if you are there

If you are attending the Newark and Sherwood Community Awards tonight, please do come over and say hello.

Faces from the trail will be very welcome at Kelham Hall. It is always lovely to see familiar people in a different setting, especially on a night that means so much to the group. Whether you have been involved from the early days or have only recently heard about Trent Vale Trail, the team would be delighted to chat.

Community work is built through those connections. A quick hello can lead to a new idea, a future walk, a volunteer offer or just a shared moment of celebration.

And if you are not attending, your support is still felt. Every message, good wish and kind comment helps make the occasion even more special.

The team knows that many people will be cheering from home, keeping an eye out for updates and sending good luck from across the community. That support means a great deal.

Thank you for being part of the journey

Tonight’s nomination is a chance to say thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered with The Friends of Trent Vale Trail.

Thank you to everyone who has joined an activity, walked a route, shared an idea or helped spread the word.

Thank you to the local organisations that have offered support, advice and encouragement.

Thank you to the people who have cheered the project on, even from a distance.

Most of all, thank you to the community that has made Trent Vale Trail feel like something shared.

Whatever happens at Kelham Hall, this nomination is already a proud milestone. It shows what can happen when people come together around a place they care about. It shows the value of steady volunteer effort. It shows that local pride, shared enthusiasm and practical support can build something meaningful.

The award would be wonderful. The recognition already is.

So tonight, Trent Vale Trail heads to Kelham Hall with gratitude, excitement and crossed fingers. The trails will still be there tomorrow, ready for the next walk, the next conversation and the next chapter.

For now, it is time to enjoy the moment.

Wish us luck. Tonight’s the night. 💚🌿