Our one-off round-up of interesting information collected from the corners of The Charity Awards

Thanks Oxfam

Nick Robinson, the BBC journalist, took to the stage at yesterday’s awards to give a speech basically telling charities that they’re really nice people.

Robinson described journalists as people who “burble for a living” which Society Diary is forced to concede is harsh but fair.

He went on to talk a bit about the recent controversy with Oxfam, who were reported to the Charity Commission earlier this week for being party-political after they pointed out, controversially, that some people in Britain were hungry, and it wasn’t right.

“I don’t like to name-drop,” Robinson said, “as I told the Queen the other day. But I did speak to David Cameron, and he said ‘can you tell the ladies and gentlemen gathered at the Grosvenor House Hotel that I want to say a particular thank you to Oxfam'.”

Thanks Hermione

We don’t like to name-drop either, but Hermione Norris, star of Spooks and Cold Feet, was also at the event to give out an award. When she bumped into a scribe from this august publication, she asked exactly what Civil Society Media journalists did – write about the nuts and bolts of charity, basically – and said, rather nicely, “Gosh, how did you get to do that? What a great job”.

Yeah, it’s okay. But I think yours is better, Hermione.

Thanks, your maj

CoolTan Arts, the London mental health charity, won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recently, they revealed at last night’s awards. Apparently they celebrated by playing God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols and eating ice cream.

Pleasantly anarchistic. Well done.

Thanks Dan

Congratulations to our editor-in-chief Daniel Phelan (pictured), who recently got married, and who picked up an award at last night's ceremony.

Now a cynic might say it's easy to get an award if you own the company that runs the ceremony, but actually, we can't claim the credit. The award wasn't given by us, but by a collection of senior sector figures who felt he deserved to be honoured.

Dan's not been well, and Diary, like everyone else, wishes him all the best. But the main thing Diary takes from this is that everyone should get married in a similarly natty hat.

Thanks for nothing

We know that charities are short of resources in this day and age, but was it really necessary for someone to nick the two palm trees that were on the stage at last night's awards?

We've had a phone call from our flower supplier, and they're bloody annoyed. Whoever you are, can we have them back please?