Kent Charity Award finalists announced
With entries now closed for this, the seventh highly acclaimed Kent Charity Awards, the judges had the extremely difficult task of choosing who will go through to the final stages; not an easy task given that 73 charities entered the Awards, and 47 Trustees and Volunteers were nominated. The Award ceremony will take place on 8th September in the stunning Pilkington Building at the University of Greenwich Medway Campus.
The judges all agreed that this was the toughest field of entries to judge since the Awards were established in 2015, but, after much consideration and deliberation, the organisers are delighted to announce the following, well-deserved finalists.
The 2022 Finalists are:
Start Up Charity of the Year
East Kent Baby Memorial Gardens
Baby Umbrella
Wishing Hearts
Animal and Environment Charity of the Year
Brogdale Collections
Lord Whisky Sanctuary Fund
Computers for Charity
Wildwood Trust
Best Use of Volunteers Charity of the Year
Gillingham Street Angels
Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services (DAVSS)
Rainbow Centre
Large Charity of the Year
RBLI
CXK
Demelza House Children’s Hospice
ellenor Hospice
Children’s Charity of the Year
21 together
Slide Away
Curly’s Legacy
Embracing Arts
Community Charity of the Year
Halpern Charitable Foundation
Catching Lives
Kent Search and Rescue
Oasis Domestic Abuse Service
Disability and Mental Health Charity of the Year
The Fifth Trust
Spadework
Maidstone Mencap Charitable Trust
Care Charity of the Year
Romney Marsh Community Hub
Kenward Trust
Carers First
Heart of Kent Hospice
Special Recognition Award – Heart of Kent Hospice – for their work with the Elmer project
Live Time Achievement Award – Margaret Todd, Lord Whisky Sanctuary Fund
Trustee of the Year
Eppa Hummerstone (Bridge Village Playgroup)
Angela Painter (Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services (DAVSS)
Jill Sargent (Dover Smart Project)
Alison Culverville (Bright Shadow)
Volunteer of the Year
Audrey Batchelor (Friends of Holcot)
Melanie Woodgate (Hearing Dogs for the Deaf)
Omolola Oyewusi (Magdalene Ministry)
Award founders and organisers, Sarah MacDonald and Josie Hage from Rise Communications said “Our judges and sponsors would like to thank every charity that entered and all the Trustees and Volunteers who were nominated for the Awards. When we set up the Kent Charity Awards it was with the aim of recognising the hard work and commitment of so many amazing charities and the people who make them what they are, and we couldn’t be prouder of every single charity that entered. You are all stars in our eyes, and for those who haven’t been named as finalists, please do enter again next year and keep on doing what you are doing….making the lives of others better.”
Chairman of Judges, Susan Robinson from Kreston Reeves said, “We are humbled and inspired by the work of all the entries and once again both shortlisting and selecting final winners was tough. We would like to thank all the charities that entered this year and although we were only able to shortlist a few you are all winners in what you have achieved. However, well done to all our finalists, your success is well deserved.”
The Kent Charity Awards are sponsored by: The KM Media Group, Kreston Reeves, Kent County Council, Medway Council, CC Works, Kent Community Foundation, CAF Bank, Brachers, Financial Advice & Services, AMEY and A Plan Insurance.