Charities celebrate awards success

22 June 2006

Twelve charities are celebrating after winning various plaudits at the Charity Awards 2006, hosted by Charity Finance magazine and sponsored by CAF.

The Charity Awards, set up to "recognise and celebrate" accomplishments in the leadership and management of charities, were held last week at a ceremony to announce the winners and praise the high calibre of all the entrants.

The overall winner was Hibiscus, a charitable project set up to help the welfare of women prisoners which also scooped the accolade of best charity in the Education and Training category for its project Eva goes to Foreign, designed to discourage women from becoming drug couriers.

Other charities receiving the highly-esteemed awards were London Bombings Relief, winner of the award for Effectiveness, Speaking Up, top in the Disability category and the Nationwide Foundation, winner of the Grantmaking category.

Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a statement saying: "The charities shortlisted for an award have recognised the importance of delivering a quality service through good management and value for money.

"By recognising their achievements, I hope these awards will help to promote further good practice throughout the voluntary and community sector."

In what was described by many as a very moving event, judges chose what they felt were the charities making the biggest contribution to their particular field according to criteria such as innovation, sustainability, accountability and effectiveness.

Editor of Charity Finance magazine, Ian Allsop, Director of the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, Ian Bruce and Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, David Harker, were among the judges.

© Adfero Ltd