THE five-star judging panel for the Montgomeryshire Community Awards has been announced.

The inaugural awards, which are being run in partnership with the Powys County Times, celebrates the achievements of individuals and groups who have worked tirelessly, without publicity or self-interest, to make the area a better place.

The winners will be rewarded with prizes sponsored by Charlies Stores, Express Cafe, Iceland, CellPath, and M.P. Foulkes.

The award categories are: Volunteer of the year; Key worker of the year; Community group of the year; Business of the year and Young person of the year.

Craig Williams MP, Yasmin Bell, Angela Owen, Paul Hawthorn and Thom Kennedy make up the judges panel

Craig Williams was born in Montgomeryshire and now lives in Llanfair Caereinion with his wife and two children.

Yasmin Bell is Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Powys.

Yasmin is a local person, who was educated and has worked in Montgomeryshire all her life. For the past 15 years Yasmin has worked for Citizens Advice Powys and in October 2020 was appointed as CEO.

Angela Owen has been Head of Internal Services at PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations) for almost 20 years.

Paul Hawthorn has been in the beer / pub industry for 31 years, currently self employed as a Licensed Trade Consultant.

Thom Kennedy, the editor of the County Times, will also be joining the judging panel.

He joined the paper a year ago, after more than 15 years in the newspaper industry. He said: “I’m delighted to be supporting these awards, which give people the opportunity to highlight the amazing work that has been done in the Montgomeryshire community in the most trying of circumstances. I would urge the public to get involved.”

Nominations are now open.

If you would like to make a nomination for the awards, full guidance and nomination forms can be found on the awards website, www.mcawards.co.uk

Forms can be completed and sent to Montgomeryshire Community Awards, 20 High Street, Welshpool, SY21 7JP or montgomeryshireca@gmail.com. The closing date for nominations is Friday, April 23.