1. Prove it
The judges love numbers and evidence. It helps with the “so what question” and shows the tangible impact of the nominated work. You can include testimonials, case studies, or relevant data to back up your nomination. Visual aids like charts or graphs can also help convey these achievements effectively.

2. Tell a compelling story
Share the journey behind the achievements, including challenges that have been overcome. A well-told narrative will make your nomination memorable. Structure your story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Describe the problem or opportunity faced, the innovative solutions you implemented, and the successful outcomes.

3. Be clear, concise and proofread
Avoid jargon and lengthy paragraphs. Make your nomination entry easy to understand and straight to the point. Think of the key achievements and keep your language accessible to a broad audience.
Start strong with an engaging introduction that summarises your case in one or two sentences. Follow this with clear sections, and conclude with a powerful closing statement that reinforces why this nomination deserves the award.
Errors can detract from the professionalism of your entry. Review it multiple times or have someone else check it for you. Spelling and grammar mistakes can undermine even the strongest submission.

4. Customise your submission
Do not use a “one-size-fits-all” application for multiple awards. Tailor each entry to the specific award criteria, showcasing the aspects of the work that best aligns with what the judges are seeking.

5. Engage the judges’ emotions
While facts and figures are crucial, do not underestimate the power of emotional appeal. We work in prevention for the human impact of our work – stories of community improvement, challenging overcome, teams working together.

6. Checklist for success
• Read the criteria and guidelines carefully
• Use clear, concise language
• Focus on measurable results
• Provide evidence to support your entry
• Proofread before submitting
• Tailor your nomination entry to the specific award

A well-written award entry is not just about winning; it is a reflection about practice and taking the time to shine. Winning an award could open doors to networking opportunities, enhance credibility, and boosting confidence. But even if you do not win, the process of preparing the entry can help you gain valuable insights into strengths and areas for improvement, applicable to you or the team. It is all part of organisational learning and showcasing your fire and rescue service at a national level.
Good luck! The judging panel is really looking forward to reading the entry.

Children and Young People Award – Developing Resilience Program, Cumbria Prevention Team and Station Manager Andrew Lowes, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has demonstrated exceptional innovation, impact, and leadership in delivering the Developing Resilience Program (DRP) across Cumbria during the 2024–2025 academic year. Led by Station Manager Andrew Lowes, CFRS successfully ran six DRP courses, engaging 63 vulnerable Children and Young People (CYP) in areas identified as high-risk for antisocial behaviour and serious violence, including Penrith, Carlisle, Workington, and Ulverston.

This achievement was made possible through strategic funding: £20,000 secured from the Serious Violence Duty Operational Group and £7,000 from the Westmorland and Furness Community Safety Partnership. These investments enabled CFRS to deliver targeted early interventions that built resilience, improved wellbeing, and fostered safer communities.

The DRP is underpinned by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Early Intervention Theory of Change and StayWise educational resources, making CFRS the first service to fully adopt the NFCC Early Intervention Implementation Framework. The program’s curriculum focuses on six protective factors which include: Resilience, Health, Wellbeing, Relationships, Community, and Aspirations delivered through engaging firefighting activities and safety education.

These sessions are facilitated by a dual-competency team trained in trauma-informed practices and safeguarding, ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment.

CFRS’s evaluation approach is nationally recognised as best practice. Using Impactasaurus, a robust digital evaluation tool, alongside reflective learning logs and post-course follow-ups, CFRS has demonstrated measurable improvements in participants’ resilience, confidence, and life skills. This innovative evaluation model (evidenced as an attachment included in submission), framed by the Early Intervention Theory of Change, has been praised by NFCC leads and has directly contributed to securing an additional £40,000 from the SVD Operational Group to deliver eight DRP courses in the 2025–2026 academic year.

The DRP’s success is not only in its outcomes but in its collaborative ethos. CFRS has built strong partnerships with schools, local hubs, policing teams, and youth services, ensuring a multi-agency approach to early intervention. The pilot course at St Joseph’s Workington catalysed wider engagement, and the Ulverston model has shown how local stations can independently deliver DRPs with minimal support (evidenced as an attachment included in submission).

Andrew Lowes has been instrumental in this success. As the Tactical lead for Early Intervention and Working with Children and Young People, his vision, dedication, and leadership have shaped the DRP into a scalable, evidence-based model. His decision to prioritise delivery over accreditation while still issuing CFRS endorsed certificates signed by the Chief Fire Officer ensured that more CYP could benefit from the program. His work has inspired other services and contributed to national conversations on early intervention.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, under the leadership of Andrew Lowes and the DRP team, have illustrated this pioneering approach – measurable impact and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable young people.

Home Safety Award – Dr Emma Dean, Lyndsey Bell and Sarah Hardman, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Greater Manchester GMFRS has developed an effective approach to reducing fire risks in homes through its Home Fire Safety Assessments (HFSA), evidenced by a 12-month evaluation project led Dr Emma Dean, GMFRS Research and Evaluation Lead. In 2024/25, GMFRS delivered over 30,000 person-centered HFSAs, with over 12,000 generated by triaged referrals from the public or third-party partners using the Online Home Fire Safety Check (OHFSC) tool. Low-risk households are provided online advice, while medium to very high-risk households are offered a HFSA. Training over 509 individuals from 80 partner organisations in 2024/25 to identify fire risks and make referrals was crucial to this success.

To understand whether HFSAs are effectively reducing fire risks in the home, GMFRS commissioned a HFSA evaluation which concluded in August 2025 (evidenced as two attachments included in submission) and covered four modules:

1. Has GMFRS developed an effective approach for targeting people who need a HFSA?
2. Has GMFRS adopted a person-centred approach for delivering HFSA?
3. Does GMFRS have effective partnerships and communication channels in place to generate referrals?
4. Is GMFRS delivering a quality HFSA that people are satisfied with and leads to behaviour change?

Key findings from each evaluation module included:

1. Nearly 80% of HFSA visits generated via the referral pathway involved households with four or more risk factors, indicating the effectiveness of the referral pathway and effective targeting to people at increased risk of fire.
2. GMFRS has embedded all eight NFCC core components into its HFSA approach across the HFSA app, policies and training materials. Expanding beyond national standards to include additional personal and behavioural risk factors such as substance misuse, mental health, and previous fire incidents.
3. Effective partnerships and communication channels have contributed to a steady rise in referral numbers, with 98% of trained partners reporting increased confidence in fire safety knowledge. The HFSA webpage attracted over 27,000 unique users and 44,000 sessions, showing strong public engagement. The Home Fire Safety Partnership Bulletin consistently outperforms industry benchmarks in open and click-through rates.
4. HFSAs led to an improved sense of safety and increased awareness of fire risks, with nearly 98% of interviewees reporting feeling safer in their homes following an HFSA and 92% found key safety advice useful. There was also evidence of behaviour change as many householders made practical changes to improve safety, such as planning and clearing escape routes, adopting safer cooking practices, and adjusting bedtime routines.

The evaluation also highlighted several opportunities for improvement to enhance the effectiveness and overall impact of HFSAs, including developing and implementing a quality assurance framework. GMFRS has since developed a five-pillar quality assurance framework which utilises elements of the NFCC’s competency framework and covers HFSA audits, record review at a local and central level, central monitoring and peer review.

Overall, the evaluation has confirmed the longer-term effectiveness, value and impact of delivering HFSAs. GMFRS has evidence-based confidence that our approach is effectively reducing risks in homes and educating communities to adopt safer behaviours. GMFRS will share the evaluation approach through the NFCC best practice portal.