Camden Council is proud to announce the beloved #camdenlove campaign has taken home this year’s RH Dougherty Excellence in Communication Award!

The RH Dougherty Awards recognise and encourage greater understanding and communication by councils to their local communities and is run by Local Government NSW.

The #camdenlove campaign was created last year, encompassing a range of initiatives to support the community during a challenging 2020, which brought devastating bushfires, destructive floods and COVID-19.

The campaign included:

• #Camdenlove initiative – calling on residents to support local businesses and post their support using the hashtag on social media;
• Hey Neighbour! Cards – encouraging residents to stay connected and support one another by leaving a calling card to their neighbours;
• #camdenbought bags – residents handed environmentally friendly bags to use throughout Camden and asked to post their shopping on social media; and
• #camdenlove bears – to celebrate the great people in the community who provide moments of generosity, inspiration, sustainability, love and bravery, particularly during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents were asked to nominate someone they knew that deserved a limited-edition bear.

“The #camdenlove campaign gave residents the opportunity to truly support each other in every way possible during what was a challenging year,” a Council spokesperson said.

“Through the campaign, Council saw a range of fantastic moments in the community from residents paying for others’ groceries, assisting neighbours, recognising each other’s work for the community and ultimately supporting each other.

“Council is here to support the community and it was great to see the reaction through the campaign. We would like to thank Local Government NSW for the recognition.”

For more information on the #camdenlove campaign, go to camden.nsw.gov.au