Liverpool Mencap, Care Network Blackburn with Darwen and Blackburn and Darwen District Without Abuse (BDDWA) have been announced as 2018 Weston Charity Awards winners and will each receive a core grant of £6,500 and a year’s strategic planning support.

The Weston Charity awards celebrate and support front line charities which generate incomes under £5 million and are located in the north of England, the Midlands and Wales. Criteria for inclusion includes the delivery of youth, welfare or community services. Nearly 200 small charities applied but there were just 20 winners.

The award applications revealed that small charities seek support to maximise their impact and help more people. This is backed up by research carried out by Weston Charity Awards among 234 small charity leaders indicating that they expect to deliver more with fewer resources in 2018. Three in five small to medium sized charities expect to support more service users in 2018, despite most not feeling confident about income growth this year.

Philippa Charles, Director of the Garfield Weston Foundation behind the awards, said:

“Small charities have stepped up to deliver essential services in their communities and are extremely adept at being highly creative with limited resources. Their directors wear many hats as they juggle multiple roles but they need support.”

According to the UK Civil Society Almanac, half of England’s charities are based in London, the South East and South West – with 3.2 charitable organisations per 1,000 people in the South West compared to just 1.9 in the North West). This highlights how charities in the North have to work disproportionately harder to meet the needs of the communities they support.

The directors of the 20 winning charities will be matched with teams of senior business leaders for a programme of mentoring and coaching, to strengthen their organisations and increase impact. They also receive £6,500 of unrestricted funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation to take part in the programme, as well as access to the advice and support of Pilotlight.

Gillian Murray, Chief Executive of Pilotlight, said:

“Large charities have been in the spotlight in recent months for the right and for the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, up and down the country small charities are quietly facing rising demands for their services. Our programme is an opportunity for the award winners to develop the skills they need to make the maximum impact, even as they are being stretched to capacity.”