Responding to Your Star Awards Feedback

One of the commitments we’ve made through Common Ground is to do more than ask for feedback – we want to show you how it’s being used.

As this year’s Star Awards nominations draw to a close, we’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to nominate a colleague and to those who have shared their thoughts on the process itself. Your feedback is invaluable and will help shape future Star Awards.

So far, we’ve received an incredible 101 nominations*, recognising colleagues and teams from across YMCA Fairthorne Group.

*Accurate to 10h00 on Thursday, 16th July 2026.

We’ve Heard Your Feedback

A number of colleagues have told us that they found the online nomination process challenging, while others felt the forms were longer and more detailed than expected.

We recognise this feedback and are committed to reviewing the process as part of planning for the 2027 Star Awards, with accessibility and ease of use forming an important part of that review.

For this year’s awards, we’ve already introduced paper nomination forms, which are available through your manager. If completing the online form isn’t practical, simply complete a paper copy and return it to your manager, who will submit it on your behalf.

Why Do We Ask for So Much Detail?

Unlike many awards programmes, our nominees don’t nominate themselves. Instead, it’s the nominator’s opportunity to tell the story of why someone deserves to be recognised.

The questions are designed to capture more than just what someone does, they help us understand the impact they’ve had, the difference they’ve made to colleagues, children, young people and families, and why they stand out.

This detail is essential because it ensures every nominee is judged on the strength of the evidence provided. Quite simply, we want to make our judges’ job as difficult as possible by giving them a collection of truly outstanding nominations to consider.

A Fair and Confidential Process

Every nomination is treated with the strictest confidence.

Before judging begins, each nomination is carefully anonymised. Wherever possible, names, locations and other identifying information are removed while preserving the evidence needed for assessment.

Our judges receive these anonymised judging packs and independently assess every nomination against the published criteria. Once individual scoring is complete, the judging panel comes together to review the highest-scoring nominations, discuss their assessments and agree the finalists through a robust moderation process.

This ensures every finalist has been considered fairly, consistently and solely on the evidence presented.

There’s Still Time

If you’ve been meaning to recognise someone but haven’t yet found the time, there’s still an opportunity to do so.

Nominations close at 5:00pm on Friday 17 July 2026.

Finally, don’t forget to save the date. Our Star Awards finalists will be revealed during Common Ground LIVE on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, where we’ll celebrate the outstanding colleagues and teams who have progressed to the final stage.

Every nomination matters. It could be the recognition that reminds someone just how much of a difference they make every single day.