THE preparations for the next Provost’s Awards are already underway, with next year’s effort to have a taste of Hollywood.

With the event set to be themed on the Oscars and with the awards now in its sixth year, the search for the community champions of North Ayrshire is well and truly on.

Over the coming weeks members of

the public will be asked to nominate the inspirational individuals they believe are deserving of one of the five awards and highlight the positive impact they have

had on the lives of people living in the local area.

The finalists will then be chosen by the Provost’s judging panel and invited to an exclusive Oscar’s-themed charity gala dinner at Seamill Hydro on March 18, 2016.

The event will also raise funds for two charities: Cash for Kids, which provides support to the most vulnerable children within our communities, and The Ayrshire Hospice, which provides outstanding quality care and services to the local community.

Previous Civic Pride charity dinners have raised a combined total of nearly £100,000 for charities and have been well supported by generous companies who have taken tables, donated prizes and sponsored awards.

It’s hoped this enthusiasm will be repeated at the 2016 celebration event.

The five Civic Pride Awards to be presented on March 18 are:

North Ayrshire Community Group Award. This will go to a voluntary group based in North Ayrshire which has made a positive contribution and promoted or demonstrated civic pride in the community;

North Ayrshire Citizen of the Year Award. This will go to a person residing in North Ayrshire who has made a positive contribution and promoted or demonstrated civic pride in his/her community;

North Ayrshire Young Citizen of the Year (Under 25 years). This will go to a young person residing in North Ayrshire who has made a positive contribution and promoted or demonstrated civic pride in his/her community;

North Ayrshire Arts and Culture Award. This will go to the person, based in North Ayrshire, who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of arts and culture, either through artistic endeavour or by encouraging and supporting others. Individuals or groups can be entered;

North Ayrshire Sports Award. This will go to the person, based in North Ayrshire, who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of sport, either through sporting achievements or by encouraging and supporting others. Individuals or groups can be entered.

Provost Joan Sturgeon is now asking for local residents to get involved and help reward those people who continually improve the lives of others.

She said: “I’m delighted to launch the 2016 Civic Pride Awards which recognise and celebrate North Ayrshire’s unsung heroes.

“The Civic Pride Awards are considered

to be ‘North Ayrshire’s Oscars’ and the theme gives us the perfect opportunity to reflect that. It gives residents the opportunity to celebrate the people who they know work tirelessly to better their local community.

“It gives us the chance to recognise their contribution to the area which can often go unnoticed. I’m looking forward to being able to identify another group of worthy winners at the 2016 special awards ceremony.”

Next week the nomination process will open and members of the public will be given the chance to put forward their local heroes, active community groups, considerate young citizens, aspiring sports athletes, talented artists and dedicated volunteers for one or more of the awards.

Local businesses and organisations who wish to book a table or donate a prize for the raffle should contact the council’s corporate communications team on 01294 324137.

A nomination form for the Provost’s Awards will appear in next week’s paper.

And in the weeks to come, we will recap on the 2015 winners, profile the Cash For Kids and Ayrshire Hospice charities, who will both benefits from the awards night. We will also look at how last year’s nominated charities used the cash to help our communities.

The closing date for nominations will be on Thursday, January 28 at 12 noon and the Provost and the judging panel will then announce the finalists in each category.

Your last chance to vote will be on Thursday, March 10 at 12 noon and the winners will finally be revealed on March 18.