- Society Guardian,
- Friday October 8, 2004
A group which provides support to detained aslyum seekers was among the winners of this year's Guardian Charity Awards, it was announced today.
The awards, in association with Sainsbury's, recognise pioneering work by small charities. They went to the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group in Crawley, Sussex; Disaster Action in Woking, Surrey; Norfolk and Norwich Families' House; the Food Train in Dumfries; and the Guy Fox History Project, London.
The winners were announced at an award ceremony in London hosted by former world light-heavyweight boxing champion John Conteh. Each group receives £5,000 and a new computer, donated by smartchange.org.
The judging panel included Naomi Eisenstadt, director of family support service Sure Start, Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, and David Brindle, the Guardian's public services editor.
Mr Brindle said: "The judges have an unenviable task each year having to choose from a diverse and very deserving range of charities. As with previous years we hope that these awards will bring recognition, increase credibility and open doors to future success for the winners."
The winners
Disaster Action is a self-help organisation offering support to those directly affected by major disasters and raising awareness of the needs of the survivors and the bereaved.
Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group aims to improve the quality of life for detained asylum seekers by offering them friendship and support.
Norfolk and Norwich Families' House provides supervised contact between parents and their children who are separated from each other and are subject to court proceedings involving divorce, separation and contact issues.
The Food Train delivers groceries and provides support to older, housebound and disabled people in Dumfries and Galloway.
The Guy Fox History Project, an educational arts and heritage charity, helps children in Southwark, south London, to create their own magazines, CD-roms, maps, audio CDs and websites.
