The winners of this year's Guardian Charity Awards have been announced. The awards are designed to recognise small to medium-sized UK social welfare charities that can demonstrate excellence and achievement in what they do.
This year's awards saw nearly 1,000 entries, a record number.
This year's winners are:
• Community Accountancy Self Help: an organisation that provides face-to-face support to 500 community based charities a year
• Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC): an organisation that supports around 3,500 local women, men and children who are survivors of sexual abuse
• Nightstop Devon: an organisation which provides emergency housing to vulnerable young people who find themselves in a homeless situation
• The Spirit of Enniskillen Trust: an organisation that supports young people from a range of religious, social and economic backgrounds across NI to take on leadership whether within their families, schools and communities
• UNLOCK: an organisation that works to reduce crime by overcoming the social exclusion and discrimination preventing reformed offenders from successfully reintegrating into society and leading crime-free lives
David Brindle, public services editor at the Guardian, said: "When times are hard, it's clearer than ever that these are the people who represent the real glue in our society".
The winning charities each receive £6,000 prize money, a year’s free membership of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), a tailored package from the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) that includes mentoring, expert advice and training, and a media package from the Media Trust.
www.guardian.co.uk/charity-awards
