Applicants sought for County Durham’s 2025 Environment Awards

APPLICATIONS have opened for County Durham award that recognises the efforts of individuals and organisations in caring for nature and the environment.
The County Durham Environment Awards 2025 will open for entries later this month, with a ceremony planned to take place in Spring next year honouring the successful nominees.
Organised by the County Durham Partnership, of which Durham County Council is the lead member, the decorations also recognise community efforts to protect the planet, with schools, businesses, and volunteers being commended for their contributions.
People are invited to nominate whoever they feel has gone above and beyond to care for the environment through sustainable innovation, design, and volunteering.
Last year’s awards ceremony took place at Hardwick Hall Hotel, where 45 nominations were presented. Winners included Marmax Recycled Products and The Odorbac, a sustainable range of cleaning products developed by Durham University, while Lanchester Group received an Outstanding Award.
Meanwhile, Dr Margaret Bradshaw, MBE, was also honoured at last year’s ceremony in the Volunteer of the Year category for her work with the Teesdale Special Floral Trust.

Now aged 99, Margaret, over her lifetime, has been involved in protecting uniquely special and rare, but threatened, flora of Teesdale.

She continues to monitor plant populations and, to this day, leads local volunteers through the Teesdale Botany Group.
Margaret has been the recipient of many awards over the years for her work and was made an MBE in 1977.

In 2017, at the age of 91, conscious that almost all the rare species were declining, with many no longer found where they used to live, she founded the Upper Teesdale Special Floral Research and Conservation Trust.

She remains a very active member today.
Coun Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and environment, said: “These awards are the best way to celebrate all those people and organisations who dedicate so much of their time to caring for nature and the environment.
“Over the years, we have had so many empowering members of the community demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to the natural world, and Margaret is one of them.

She is an inspiration to everyone and embodies boundless curiosity and passion, is a tireless advocate for conservation of unique flora, a world-expert botanist, and is an enthusiastic teacher of all.
“We encourage anyone who feels they know someone, or an organisation, who also demonstrates enthusiasm for the environment to nominate them for this year’s awards so they can receive the recognition they deserve.”
The awards are open for entry from 9 am on Monday, September 15th until Friday, October 10th, and winners will be invited to a ceremony in Spring next year.