Getting your work noticed is a challenge at the best of times. Voluntary and community groups around Oxfordshire work tirelessly to make people’s lives better, often without getting the recognition for their work they deserve.

Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) can offer you a way of raising your organisation’s profile. The team organise the Oxfordshire Charity and Volunteer Awards as a way of applauding all the excellent work that charities and voluntary and community groups do around Oxfordshire.

The Oxfordshire Charity and Volunteer Awards are aimed at all charities and community groups in Oxfordshire. Many people hesitate when it comes to nominating their organisation for an award.

They worry their organisation is too small, or too new, or just aren’t quite right for an award.

But they shouldn’t, says the awards organiser Kanika Lang. She goes on to say: “The awards are our way of showcasing all the creativity, energy, innovation and enthusiasm that is part of the voluntary sector in Oxfordshire.”

Winning one of the prestigious awards is a good way to get funders to take note of your work. This sentiment is echoed by last year’s charity of the year winner Base 33’s chief executive, Claire Dowan. She said: “[Having won the Charity of the Year award means that] when we go out to funders we can say not only are we doing the work but we have been recognised for it.

“I would urge charities out there to have a go at nominating themselves for an award.’ Nominating an organisation or a group is easy. There is a nomination form for charities that you can download from OCVA’s website at www.ocva.org.uk Just fill in the simple form and return to awards@ocva.org.uk by October 1, 2014.

Groups can also nominate a volunteer for recognition with an individual volunteer award.

The volunteer nomination form can also be found on the OCVA website www.ocva.org.uk The deadline for the form is also October 1, 2014.