For the third year, MHA and GAVO came together to celebrate Monmouthshire’s top volunteers at the Monmouthshire Volunteer Awards 2025.
Held on the evening of Wednesday 15th October, the awards ceremony celebrated Monmouthshire’s unsung heroes who dedicate their time, energy and compassion to making a difference in their communities.
The event, hosted at Gateway Church in Abergavenny, opened with an uplifting performance from The Rock Choir, before our energetic host Rachel Knight, MHA’s Engagement & Partnerships Manager, began the awards ceremony.
Congratulations to all of those who won an award and thank you to everyone who came along for a brilliant evening of celebration!
Best New Group
- Winner – The Cost of Living Confidence Scheme (COLCS)
- Highly Commended – Llanishen Footpath Group
Most Inspirational Young Person
- Winner – Liam Jones
- Highly Commended – Wesley Brown
Most Inspirational Journey
- Winner – Rubina Rishi
- Highly Commended – Robert Harman
Outstanding Contribution to MHA
- Winner – Fiona Johnson
- Highly Commended – Sylvia Meredith
Business at the Heart of the Community Award
- Winner – Little Pips
- Highly Commended – Andi Hudson
Environmental Award
- Winner – Ian Martens
- Highly Commended – Jo Stephens
Health and Wellbeing Award
- Winner – Anne Benkins
- Highly Commended – Rubina Rishi
Lifelong Contribution to Volunteering
- Winner – Andrew Richards
High Sheriff of Gwent Special Award
- Winner – Ella Evans
Lord Lieutenant Award
- Winner – Annie Hartwright
Rob Carey, MHA’s Senior Engagement Officer, said:
MVAs are a shining example of effective partnership working. For the past three years, MHA and GAVO have joined forces, combining their expertise and resources to deliver a truly memorable event that celebrates Monmouthshire’s unsung heroes.
Our communities thrive thanks to the dedication and generosity of countless volunteers and the MVAs are our way of saying thank you, a night of celebration, recognition, and appreciation.
Each year, the standard of nominations continues to rise, making the task of our independent judging panel increasingly difficult. In truth, every nominee is a winner. But the biggest winners are the communities across the county, who benefit daily from the incredible work of volunteers, supporting, sustaining, and helping make Monmouthshire such a wonderful place to live and work.
Gwyndaf Tobias, MHA’s CEO, added:
This was my first time attending the MVAs as Interim CEO, and what a fantastic evening it was. The event was full of energy, laughter and heartfelt stories that reminded me why volunteering is so vital in our communities.
Seeing so many dedicated individuals and groups recognised for their incredible contributions was truly uplifting. The evening was a great way to honour the volunteers who make Monmouthshire such a special place to live.
