Forwarded: PRESS RELEASE
Application Deadline: 8th January 2025, (5pm)
The annual Weston Charity Awards is accepting applications from charities based in the Midlands.
Transformational support packages worth over £22,000 each are available for up to 22 ambitious front-line charities specialising in community, environment, welfare, or youth support.
Registered charities in the Midlands, Wales, and the North of England are eligible to apply if they have delivered a service for over two years, have at least one paid full-time member of staff in a leadership position, and have an income of less than £5 million per year.
The Awards are a collaboration between the Garfield Weston Foundation and charity partner Pilotlight. Award winners receive a package of support which includes unrestricted grants of £6,500 to help develop a sustainability plan and accelerate growth, plus free access to the Pilotlight 360 programme – an eight-month package of charity leadership coaching worth an estimated £16,000.Leadership mentoring is delivered by four senior experts across private and public sector organisations. These “Pilotlighters” offer bespoke coaching on varied topics, including income diversification, developing new business models, long-term strategies, finding operational efficiencies, and volunteer recruitment that give charities enhanced skills to succeed.
Flora Craig, Interim Director at the Garfield Weston Foundation, said:
“We know that charities are under pressure to deliver their great work – they face increased costs, a high demand for their services and a competitive environment. The Weston Charity Awards programme is a great opportunity for charities to take stock, work with experienced experts, and develop plans for a resilient future”.One beneficiary of the Weston Charity Awards in 2024 was Murray Hall Community Trust which started in 1994 with a small pot of funding in Sandwell. The Trust has grown to become an established charity providing innovative support services for children, families, young people, and adults across Sandwell and the Black Country.
CEO of Murray Hall Community Trust, Dr Manjula Patel, said of the experience:
“We applied to the Awards as it was an opportunity to have support from a team of business experts, who wanted to give their time and skills to support a charity like ours. We needed their help to look into an appropriate impact measuring tool/process for our charity.
“Part of the programme is a [Pilotlighters] visit to the charity’s HQ, to meet with people within our organisation and our beneficiaries. For us it turned out to be a very memorable day; hearing from the service users and volunteers about how much the charity meant to them. It was something I had not expected, and it turned out to be the highlight of the programme — the staff and volunteers still talk about it now!
“The experience and knowledge that the Pilotlighters brought from their own sectors were very transferable, and the wisdom and guidance they offered was, at times, a revelation and greatly valued. It was great to have the space to reflect and think through the discussions within the session and enable us to galvanise thoughts and ideas.”
Since launching in 2014, 150 charities have received Weston Charity Awards. The most recent impact report revealed that six months after participating in Pilotlight 360, an incredible 100% of charity leaders said it positively impacted the effectiveness of their senior management team. Two years after completing, charities increased their income on average by 43%.
Pilotlight CEO, Ed Mayo, added:
“Research shows that the largest barriers small charities face is income generation and management skills gaps. There is a significant shortage of people with the right capabilities to adapt to a challenging and changing fundraising landscape.
“Thanks to our partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, these Awards provide financial support while also helping small charities to overcome common stumbling blocks, from digital transformation and improved data analysis to operational sustainability and partner collaboration.”
Established in 1958, the Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded grant-maker that last year awarded over £100 million to nearly 2,000 charities across the UK. Since it was established, it has donated over £1.5 billion, of which over half has been given away in the past ten years alone.
The Weston Charity Awards application deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 8 January 2025. To find out more and apply, visit: www.pilotlight.org.uk/weston-charity-awards
Alternatively, register to attend a free Zoom information session (11am – 12 noon) about how to apply and top tips for your entry:
