- The Guardian,
- Wednesday December 14, 2005
The 13th annual Guardian Charity Awards turned out to be not at all unlucky for five winners whose exceptional achievements were recognised yesterday at a ceremony at the Tate Modern in London.
From a record field of more than 800 entries, the five charities stood out for doing supremely well what the voluntary sector always does best: identifying a gap in social welfare provision, working out how to fill that gap, and then, quietly and effectively, setting about doing it.
The awards, supported this year by NatWest and The Royal Bank of Scotland, are aimed at small and medium-sized charities. Each winner received a cheque for £6,000, presented by actorJane Asher, president of the National Autistic Society, and a new PC provided by smartchange.org, which works to promote links between charities and companies in other sectors.
The winners are:
· The Food Chain, which provides nutritious meals to people in London who are sick with HIV-related illnesses.
· Magic Breakfast, which aims to ensure that young children in some of London's poorest boroughs do not start the school day without solid food.
· Mattdotcom, which helps teenagers in hospital to access computer technology to keep up with their schoolwork.
· SeeSaw, which works with bereaved children and young people in Oxfordshire.
· Witness, which supports people who have suffered abuse by health and care workers.
Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and one of this year's judges, said: "These projects typify the incalculable contribution of the voluntary sector. There is inspirational thinking, real entrepreneurial spirit, and a harnessing of the power of volunteer teams in response to pressing social needs."
The 2006 Guardian Charity Awards will be launched next spring.
