Ashleigh Taylor is the Director for The HwB.

What encouraged you to sponsor the Torfaen Community and Volunteer Awards?

As a previous Award winner, we have seen first hand the impact that these awards have on inspiring, celebrating and recognising our volunteers. Being recognised for work that is vital, unpaid, but often under-recognised, is a vitally important aspect of acknowledging the valuable resource that these inspiring individuals bring to our society.  We wanted to be a part of that recognition and to say a meaningful Thank You to all volunteers.

Why you’re sponsoring Arts, Culture & Heritage?

We chose to sponsor the arts, heritage and Culture award because, as an organisation that works within the heritage sector, we know that Arts, Culture and Heritage inspires our communities, gives us freedoms of expression, and protects our cultural identity for now and the future. Volunteers and their organisations who operate within these areas are dedicated at helping others curate their own stories, and that of the wider society in which we live, and without them, we would lose an essential part of who we are in Wales and Torfaen.

Why are awards like TCVA important?

Volunteering is a critical, and often unsung, service to our communities, connecting them, supporting them, and bringing our local area together. Awards like these give crucial recognition to these inspiring individuals and groups who are the cornerstone of our communities. These awards inspire, give credit to, and recognise the standard of contribution volunteers and voluntary organisations make to helping our society function and thrive.

Why is it important to showcase Torfaen in this way?

By showcasing and celebrating local organisations, volunteers and business’s, we acknowledge the huge impact that that they have on our communities. They help connect our area together, create an area which people want to live, work and enjoy, and bring us all together in showcasing the best Torfaen has to offer.