Nominations have opened for the 2026 Love Barrow Awards.
Now in their 20th year, the awards celebrate people and community groups that go the extra mile to help and support others from the Furness and South Lakes area.
A summer party, and a special surprise, launched the nominations.
Seventy past winners, finalists, sponsors and supporters were invited to a barbecue at the Dunes Hotel, South Lakes last weekend.
A surprise moment for everyone was the Lifetime Achievement Award for Amanda Jesson, a key figure of the awards since 2012.
In front of all the guests a special, surprise Love Barrow Awards video was played that recognised her contribution over the last decade, and she received her own Love Barrow Award trophy from awards host Tony Callister.
Amanda said: “I couldn’t do the awards without the support of the committee but mainly we couldn’t do the awards without the amazing people that you all are.
“It’s your stories that you let us tell. And I’ll be forever grateful for that!”
The 2025 Love Barrow Awards saw a new record of over 700 nominations across eight award categories, where three finalists were selected in each category.
The Love Barrow Awards night will be held at its new home of Abbey House Hotel, Barrow on March 13 2026.
Chair of the Love Barrow Awards committee, DT Guest, said “We have marked 2025 with a celebration of what has been achieved over the last 20 years and the people who have brought us here.
“But we are also looking forward to the positive future of the awards and of the whole Furness Peninsula.
“Nominations are now open for the next Love Barrow Awards and I encourage everyone to say thank you to a person or organisation that has made a difference in their life.
“The awards are only possible due to the fantastic support we have received from our sponsors over the years. I would like to say a special thank you to our long time sponsors Furness College and BAE Systems who helped make our anniversary party happen!”
Nominations will close on Friday September 13. Visit www.lovebarrowawards.co.uk/nominate
