TWO members of Cornwall Council have been shortlisted for national awards.

Cllr Louis Gardner and Cllr Jordan Rowse are in the running for separate accolades in the 2024 Cllr Awards.

Cllr Gardner, from Newquay, is up against Cllr Rahima Farah of Liverpool City Council, Cllr Sally Green, City of Wolverhampton Council, Cllr Adeel Shah, East Hampshire District Council, and Cllr Taila Taylor, Breckland Council, in the community champion section.

Cllr Rowse, from St Austell, is bidding for the young councillor of the year title and is facing competition from Cllr Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council, Cllr Ryan Hack, Brent Council, Cllr Jessica Moultrie, Cardiff Council, and Cllr Minesh Parekh, Sheffield City Council.

A spokesperson for the awards said: “Competition was extremely tight with more than 350 nominations received across five categories that celebrate the wide-ranging work of councillors.

“Cllr Gardner has distinguished himself as a champion of the armed forces community, tirelessly advocating for policies and programmes that support veterans and their families. In his nomination, Cllr Gardner was praised for his support for veterans.

“Cllr Jordan Rowse excels at uniting colleagues and communities to drive change. His nomination cited his inspiring approach. He also led a hugely successful scrutiny review that the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny now uses as a case study.”

The awards are run by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) with support from the CCLA, a fund manager for local authorities and charities.

LGUI chief executive Jonathan Carr-West said: “The judging panel was blown away by the number of extremely high-quality nominations this year, with councillors up and down the country going the extra mile for residents.

“The shortlist for the 2024 Cllr Awards represents some of the most devoted elected representatives in England, Wales and Scotland. With councils working under enormous pressure, these awards are a hugely important way to champion what councillors achieve for the places we live.

“Congratulations to all the councillors nominated and shortlisted and I look forward to announcing the winners in November.”

The judging panel for the Cllr Awards comprises senior councillors and stakeholders from across the sector.