Parkinson’s UK, the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Disabilities Trust were among the winners at last night’s Charity Awards.

Ten charities were honoured with awards in ten categories covering all fields of charitable activity in the UK.  The winner of the international aid and development category, Lumos Foundation, went on to be chosen as the Overall Winner of the night.

The winners collected their trophies before an audience of over 600 sector figures, celebrities, and politicians at a sparkling gala presentation ceremony at the Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge.  Soprano singer Joanna Forest welcomed guests into dinner before Awards host Will Greenwood, the Rugby World Cup-winning rugby player, entertained them with a ten-minute speech.

And the winners were:

• Howard League for Penal Reform won the advice, support and campaigning category for its Books for Prisoners Campaign which resulted in the High Court overturning the government’s decision that prisoners should not be allowed to receive books from loved ones.
• Lowry Centre Trust won the arts, culture and heritage award for its range of initiatives to broaden its membership.
• Safer London won the children and youth category for a project that tackled the problem of sexual exploitation of young women by gangs.
• The Disabilities Trust won the disability category for its project that developed a diagnostic tool to help screen for brain injury in the prison system.
• Parkinson’s UK won the education category for developing an accredited learning programme for care staff.
• Cool Earth won the environment and conservation category for its helping indigenous villages halt rainforest destruction in the Amazon Rainforest.
• Cumbria Community Foundation won the grantmaking and funding category for establishing the Neighbourhood Care Independence Programme that has delivered £1m in public sector savings.
• Forward won the healthcare and medical research category raising awareness of female genital mutilation in schools.
• Lumos Foundation won the international aid and development category for its education programme in Moldova and went on to win the overall award.
• Blue Sky Development and Regeneration won the social care and welfare category for a project that has reduced reoffending by setting up an employment agency for people with criminal records.

 

Find out more about all the winning projects on the Charity Awards website.