The Octavia Hill awards have been launched to celebrate the life and legacy of the Trust’s founder, who led campaigns to save green spaces such as Parliament Hill Fields and Hampstead Heath in London in Victorian Britain.
They aim to recognise those who have made a real difference to the environment, whether by saving an allotment from development or being the driving force behind the establishment of community woodland.
The winners will be announced next June to mark the centenary of Hill’s death in 1912.
The philanthropist and social reformer, who was born on this day (SAT) in 1838 set up a group to preserve Britain’s heritage in 1895.
“I think we want four things,” she wrote. “Places to sit in, places to play in, places to stroll in, and places to spend a day in.”
By 1914, the Trust had 670 members but membership has rapidly increased over the last three decades, from 2 million in 1990 to 4 million today.
The awards will honour various categories; a growing hero who may have set up a growing scheme or saved allotments, a natural hero, for those working with community spaces involving woodlands, nature reserves or orchards, an inspirational hero dedicated to nurturing the next generation of enthusiasts, a people’s campaigner and a green space guardian. A sixth award is specifically for National trust volunteers.
Entries will be judged by Fergus Collins, editor of Countryfile Magazine, Fiona Reynolds, director-general of the National Trust, Alice Roberts, the academic and broadcaster and Polly Toynbee, the journalist and commentator.
The National Trust is one of the groups backing the Daily Telegraph’s Hands Off Our Land campaign opposing controversial planning reforms, which include plans to cut the length of time it takes for planning applications to be decided, and remove a raft of protections for listed buildings.
A spokesman said: “Octavia Hill was a passionate believer in the importance of green spaces for our wellbeing and was years ahead of her time.
“The challenges and pressures that our everyday green places face today, particularly from the proposed changes to our planning system, is as great as it ever has been and Octavia would have been at the forefront of the campaign to protect them for the nation."
Information about how to nominate someone for an award can be found online.
