West announces recipients of 2025 Charity Awards
Twenty-one charities across the UK have been announced as winners of the 2023 Western Charity Awards, an annual event established by the Garfield Weston Foundation (GWF) in 2014. The awards, designed to support small charities, recognise organisations that make a significant difference in their communities.
Among the recipients are Carlisle-based charities iCan Wellbeing Group CIO and Carlisle Eden Mind, as well as Standing Tall, an organisation tackling homelessness across the Midlands and North of England, Woodland Heritage, a charity campaigning for sustainable wood use in the Midlands and Wales, Tempus Novo, a rehabilitation service for ex-offenders in the Midlands, Wales, and North of England, Home-Start Cymru, a support service in Wales for families, and The Good Shepherd, a foundation supporting the disadvantaged in Wolverhampton.
Winners receive a grant of £6,500 from the GWF and free access to the Pilotlight 360 programme, an eight-month charity leadership coaching worth an estimated £16,000. Ed Mayo, chief executive of Pilotlight, expressed that the partnership between Pilotlight and the GWF provides a lifeline for charities to overcome stumbling blocks and navigate times of uncertainty.
Despite no new grants or financial support amounts being mentioned for the newly announced winners, the total support package for the winners is valued at over £22,000. Clare Gough, director at the GWF, congratulated the winners and expressed pride in partnering with Pilotlight to support the charities.
Ed Mayo also highlighted the challenges faced by charities in income generation and management skills gaps, emphasising that despite their size, charities can have a big impact. This year's awards reaffirm the commitment of the GWF and Pilotlight to helping charities thrive and make a lasting difference in their communities.
However, detailed information about all the other winners and the total value of support and grants they received in 2023 is not explicitly provided in the available search results. Further direct sources from the organisers of the Western Charity Awards would be required to provide a full answer. The 2025 Western Charity Awards were held in Birmingham, but no new programs or initiatives were announced in relation to the awards.
- The iCan Wellbeing Group CIO in Carlisle, along with Carlisle Eden Mind and Standing Tall, are utilizing their £6,500 grants from the Garfield Weston Foundation (GWF) to foster regeneration in their communities.
- In addition to housing support, Home-Start Cymru in Wales provides vital assistance to families in need, thanks to their collaboration with the GWF.
- Sustainability is at the forefront of Woodland Heritage's mission, as they advocate for responsible wood use in the Midlands and Wales, funded in part by the GWF.
- Tempus Novo, a rehabilitation service based in the Midlands, Wales, and North of England, benefits from GWF support and aims to bring positive change to the fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, travel, cars, and shopping sectors, among others.
- The Good Shepherd in Wolverhampton, receiving support from the GWF, focuses on promoting a sustainable lifestyle and improving the city's overall living conditions.
