The 1V Awards Dinner will take place in March 2026. The Awards will feature a new partnership between One Voice Blackburn and Spring North, and the ceremony will take place away from its usual location of King George’s Hall in Blackburn.

The 1V Awards Dinner is Blackburn’s biggest awards event celebrating organisations and individuals who make a positive difference in the community. The event is organised by the charity which runs this magazine – One Voice Blackburn. 

A total of eight Awards will be announced by One Voice, and categories include: The Aya Hachem Young Person of the Year award; Group of the Year; the Health Award; Apprentice of the Year; Man of the Year; Woman of the Year; and Outstanding Achievement Award. Blackburn With Darwen Council will present the Leader’s Award, acknowledging and celebrating long term and substantial work in the community by an individual or organisation.

The nomination process opens on 1st September 2025. 

And for the first time three new Awards will be presented by Spring North. 

Spring North is a leading regional charity working across Lancashire and South Cumbria to improve health, wellbeing, and community resilience. They connect, support, and champion the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector, managing programmes that tackle health inequalities, promote innovation, and create lasting impact for local 

Martin Hartley-Smith, CEO of Spring North is looking forward to partnering with One Voice.

“This is the first time Spring North has stepped into the world of VCFSE awards, and we’re doing it because the sector deserves to be celebrated. Our four award categories Health, Impact, Innovation, and Not-for-Profit of the Year, will shine a light on the inspiring, life-changing work happening across Lancashire and South Cumbria. By partnering with 1V Blackburn, we can put the incredible achievements of our sector in the spotlight.”

The 1V Awards Dinner is an unforgettable night that features young people from One Voice’s youth groups hosting the event in front of 400 people. The event is a showcase of the charity’s work. 

The 1V Awards Dinner will take place in The Exchange in Blackburn. The building is one of the oldest in the town opening its doors in October 1865. The dinner has previously been held in King George’s Hall, which is currently undergoing a major refurbishment. 

One of the trustees of the charity running The Exchange, Re:Source, Alistair Murdoch said, “We’re delighted to host the One Voice Awards Dinner at The Exchange. This will be one of the earliest events after the completion of refurbishments to the entrance tower. Before The Exchange became a cinema it was often used for banquets, so to have One Voice recreate this in this space is very exciting.”

The Cotton Exchange has hosted some of the biggest literary names in the world including Charles Dickens in the late nineteenth century. Many people will remember the venue as a cinema until 2005; it was home to the movies since the 1920s.

Zaffer Khan, CEO of One Voice Blackburn is privileged to be holding the 1V Awards at such a memorable venue.

“The 1V Awards showcase the very best of community work, volunteering, and personal excellence. In a town that is blessed with so many great individuals and groups we could not think of a better place to showcase their work while rediscovering the magnificence of a truly great piece of architecture.”

The 1V Awards Dinner is sponsored by Together Housing and Newground Together.