The importance of social enterprises in the North East charity sector will be highlighted at awards taking place later this year.
The North East Charity Awards, run by The Journal in association with our sister paper on Teesside, The Gazette, and headline sponsor Brewin Dolphin, will celebrate the achievements of the region’s charity and voluntary sectors, as well as charity leaders and individual fundraisers.
A total of 11 awards will be presented at the grand final, taking place at Ramside Hall near Durham on October 20, including the Outstanding Social Enterprise Award, which aims to celebrate the excellent work of a local social enterprise or the trading arm of a charity that delivers significant social impact by trading to achieve their social purpose.
Last year’s winner was Media Savvy CIC, based in Sunderland, which is making a big difference, promoting education, employability skills, creativity and in some cases, recovery and rehabilitation for people with multiple and complex needs.
Dan Makaveli, managing director of the business which was founded in 2010, said he was delighted that the work of the organisation was recognised at the awards.
He said: “Winning the Outstanding Social Enterprise Award at the North East Charity Awards last December was a massive surprise, validation and privilege for our team. We were delighted to be recognised for not only our achievements in that previous year, but also for the consistent high impact we’ve had for over a decade now.
“The awards represent a fantastic opportunity for North East charitable organisations to be formally recognised and appreciated for the tireless work they do on a daily basis, and I would encourage any eligible organisation out there to take a punt and apply.
“I would also add that the awards absolutely do not favour or prioritise larger, more recognised and established operations, and it was very heartening to see some of the winners last year, actually operating at a more modest scale than ourselves.
“The only single disappointment for us was that, for obvious reasons, we were unable to attend the usual celebration event, although the team certainly did a commendable job with their online replacement. We are fortunate to have received several awards and accolades over the years, and this one is certainly one of our greatest.”
Entries need to be submitted by August 31.
Category sponsorship comes from Banks Group, Muckle LLP and Millfield House Foundation.
* For more information and to nominate go to reachplcevents.com/charity or email lesley.hampson@reachplc.com
