Five grassroots organisations from across the UK last week won the Guardian Charity Awards 2011. A record number of entries were received for this year's awards, the 19th the Guardian has run to recognise the vital work done by small and medium sized charities.
The winning entries provide emergency housing for young people, financial support for charities, help for survivors of sexual abuse, bring high street banks into prisons, and support young people to bring together divided communities.
David Brindle, the Guardian's public services editor and chair of the judges, said: "The winners reflect everything these awards seek to foster: innovation, pioneering work, and making a real difference to people's lives."
He added: "When times are hard, it's clearer than ever that these are the people who represent the real glue in our society."
The awards were run in partnership with the FSI, which helps to build the capacity of small charities, and it provided £6,000 prize money for each winner and a package of support.
Media Trust and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) supported the awards with tailored packages of support for the winners and free NCVO membership for a year.
The judges included Jane Asher, president of charities including Arthritis Care and Parkinson's UK, Dame Suzi Leather, chair of the Charity Commission, and Baroness Howarth, chair of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass).
The winners were:
• Community Accountancy Self Help
• Coventry Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre
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• For more details about the Guardian Charity Awards 2011, click here.
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