The Alan Ball Local History Awards are like little prizes that people can win if they do a really good job of learning about the history of a certain place.
Let's imagine that you live in a town called Sunshineville. One day, you decide that you really want to learn about the history of Sunshineville. You start by going to the library and reading books about the town. You might also talk to people who have lived there for a long time, like your grandparents or other older folks.
As you learn more and more about the history of Sunshineville, you might decide that you want to share what you've learned with other people. Maybe you make a little scrapbook or a poster, or maybe you even give a presentation to your class at school.
If you do a really good job, you could win an Alan Ball Local History Award! Alan Ball was somebody who really cared about local history, so the awards are named after him. Winning an award would be a big honor, and it would show that you're really good at learning and sharing about the history of your town.
So, in short, the Alan Ball Local History Awards are prizes that people can win for doing a great job of learning and sharing information about the history of their community.