The winners of the Best Community Awards were unveiled this week at an exclusive lunch held at The Grand Connaught Rooms in London. It was the climax of a six-month multi-platform campaign honouring those individuals and groups making a positive difference across the country.
The awards received an overwhelming response from Best readers with hundreds of entries submitted. The difficult task of choosing the final five category winners and overall winner was made by an expert judging panel including TV personalities Andrea McLean, Coleen Nolan, Nadia Sawalha, Aggie Mackenzie, Best Editor Jackie Hatton and representatives from Simplyhealth including Clare Lee and Abby Bowman.
The prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award 2011 was won by the Rhondda Foodbank in Cynon Taff which also picked up Best Community Health Project.
Each category winner received £1,000 to help their project and as overall winner the Rhondda Foodbank was awarded an additional £5,000. A special ‘Gold Envelope’ prize, ranging from specialist advice to celebrity endorsement, was also given to the five finalists.
Best will also publish details of all the winners in a four page feature in issue 41, on sale 11 October.
Best Editor Jackie Hatton says, “The response has been amazing and the quality of the entries highlights the fantastic work quietly going on all around our country to make things better. The time seems right to recognise these local heroes who make such a difference.”
Abby Bowman from Simplyhealth says, “It’s been a wonderful and touching event and as a representative of Simplyhealth, I’m proud to have been a part of it. We’ve seen some amazing examples of individuals and groups making a difference to people’s lives and its great to be able to reward them for their hard work. At Simplyhealth, we believe in supporting the communities in which we operate, so it’s been a joy to celebrate this ethos with like minded organisations and individuals.”
The award winners were:
Best and Simplyhealth Star Award
Rhondda Foodbank, Cynon Taff
Best School/Youth Project
The Dowlais Engine House, Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales
Best Community Health Project
Rhondda Foodbank, Cynon Taff
Best Community Long Term Project
Parkinson’s Self Help Group, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Best Green Community Project
Bespoke, Nailsea, North Somerset
Best Company Helping In The Community
Waitrose Green Disc System
