If ever there was a platform to shout your love for your mother, Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Award is definitely the way to do it. In its 21st year of existence, the award recognises the enormous contribution that mums make in our lives and their roles in nurturing children and helping them reach their full potential in life.

Barnardos is a charity organisation that helps to build relationships with children, their families and the community in which they live. Their long 120 year existence has been instrumental in contributing to community knowledge about abuse and how to stop abusive family relationships from forming. They work with families by teaching them how to work together to make a fulfilling environment for both parent and child and provide safe homes for children who may have lost their own.

They are a non-government, non-denominational child protection charity who strive for only the best for our countries children.

Over 20 years ago, the Mother of the Year award was formed to celebrate all things Mum related. The award recognises the incredible work our Mums do in shaping their children’s lives to be happy and successful and how their love impacts their community. Anyone can be nominated for any reason and it is a beautiful way to show your Mum how much you love them. Their nomination will be an inspiration for all mothers to encourage them to keep the love going in their own families.

A judging panel of ambassadors and sponsor representatives get together in Sydney in March to pick the top 100 nominations from which three finalists will be picked for each Australia State and Territory.

In April, a ceremony will take place in each State and Territory to announce who will go on to represent each part of Australia at the National Final. Once a champion is selected, each person will be flown to Sydney for the announcement of the winner at a prestigious, high profile event held just before Mothers Day.

The winner receives a bevy of prizes and the enormous pleasure of being called Mother of the Year for 2016.

You can still nominate your favourite Mum via the Barnardos website right now! Nominations will close on the 14th of February. Please check out the link to Mother of the Year here.

Tune in next Friday the 12th of February to Friday Drive at 4pm to hear all about Barnardos and the Mother of the Year award!