A group of 21 ambitious frontline charities working in the fields of community, environment, welfare and youth support have been named winners of the 2025 Weston Charity Awards.
The Awards recognise and enhance the vital work of small charities across the UK, amplifying their impact and boosting long-term resilience in the face of increasing third-sector challenges.
This year's winning charities, located in the target regions of Midlands, Wales, and the North of England, were selected from 160 applicants. Each will receive a regenerative support package valued at over £22,000. This includes free access to the Pilotlight 360 programme – a remarkable eight-month package of charity leadership coaching worth an estimated £16,000.
Expert “Pilotlighters” from private and public sectors offer professional mentoring on topics from income diversification to long-term business strategies. In addition, Award winners will receive a grant of £6,500 from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Clare Gough, Director at the Garfield Weston Foundation, commented:
Congratulations to all this year’s Weston Charity Award winners. Once again, we’re proud to partner with Pilotlight to support these exceptional and varied charities. We understand the ever-increasing pressure on charities to deliver their crucial work. These Awards give them the space to reflect, learn, and forge a path to long-term sustainability and success.
Since launching in 2014, over 200 charities have received Weston Charity Awards. The most recent impact report revealed that six months after participating in Pilotlight 360, an impressive 100% of charity leaders said it positively impacted the effectiveness of their senior management team.
The 2025 winners have diverse missions, working across specialisms including mental health, homelessness, reoffending, poverty, health, neonatal care, community support, equality and diversity, safety, education, parenting, disability, self-esteem, and sustainability.
Among this year’s recipients is Woodland Heritage, a charity operating across Wales and the Midlands that champions the use of home-grown timber from sustainable, productive woodlands. Chief Executive John Orchard said, “A Weston Charity Award gives the funds and friends we need to help us plot our course - amazing news!”
Another winner, The Good Shepherd, is a charity that has been working in the West Midlands since 1972 to end homelessness, support recovery, and create pathways out of poverty. Chief Executive Tom Hayden said the award will “have a hugely positive impact for the organisation and the people we support.”
Other winners include charities Home-Start Cymru (pictured - offering family support in Cardiff, Wales), Standing Tall (tackling homelessness across the Midlands and North of England) and Tempus Novo (rehabilitating ex-offenders across the Midlands and North of England).
Complete Winners List - Weston Charity Awards 2025
England - North West
Carlisle Eden Mind: Supporting people across Cumbria facing mental health challenges through a range of support options such as one-to-one support, crisis help, outreach, and education. The charity promotes wellbeing, reduces stigma, and empowers individuals to take control of their mental health.
Hidden Treasure Trust CIO: Reversing poverty for families and vulnerable people in South Manchester using education, relationships and practical support to bring life-transforming help, hope and joy. By creating community hubs and centres of excellence, Hidden Treasure Trust CIO brings together all the partners and resources needed for change.
iCan Wellbeing Group: Offers a range of health, wellbeing and social incentives to the Cumbrian community, breaking down activity barriers from I can't to iCan, with a focus on prevention before recovery. The charity was developed as a response to community needs and suggestions from local service users for a safe, friendly place for all.
M13 Youth Project: Dedicated to enabling the socially and economically marginalised children, young people, and families of its neighbourhoods to overcome the entrenched poverty and complex barriers they face - so they can live safe, happy, healthy, creative lives and create positive change in their communities.
Spoons: A charity for families in Greater Manchester who experience neonatal care and need support throughout their whole journey. Spoons aim to alleviate stress and reduce the isolation of families by supporting parents and the wider family in the hospital and the community.
Walthew House: Supports people in Stockport and the surrounding areas who are blind, deaf, visually impaired, hard of hearing, or have dual sensory loss. The charity helps people navigate systems that are often complicated or unwelcoming and ensures they don’t have to do it alone.
The NeuroMuscular Centre (NMC): A centre of excellence for people and families affected by a neuromuscular condition. The charity based in Cheshire provides specialist services and support for the neuromuscular community, enabling beneficiaries to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
England - North East
Tempus Novo: A charity that supports the rehabilitation of ex-offenders across the UK, including the North East of England, by placing them into sustainable employment. Founded in 2014 by two former senior prison officers who are seen as world leaders in their field, the charity has now placed 1,300 people into work with a recidivism rate of only 3%.
England - Yorkshire & the Humber
Community Learning Partnerships: This Leeds-based charity has worked for over 34 years across deprived communities, providing support for children, young people and adults. Through a range of programmes, the charity supports access to education, training, employment and volunteering opportunities, helping individuals overcome barriers.
Next Steps Mental Health Resource Centre: Supporting people in North Yorkshire, including individuals suffering from mental health issues, those who are isolated and lonely, as well as people with physical and learning disabilities. The charity maintains an open-door policy, welcoming everyone into a stigma-free environment.
Pudsey Community Project: A grassroots community charity led by residents, which exists to transform West Leeds with, and for, the local community, especially for those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged – including offering food aid, children's clothes reuse, and young people's work.
Solace: Provides a range of therapeutic services to refugees and asylum seekers across the Yorkshire and Humber region. Their aim is to provide specialist mental health support whilst also sharing expertise to help other services become more accessible and effective for this community.
England - East Midlands
Derby City Mission: A sanctuary in the heart of Derby’s deprivation. Established in 1989, their mission remains unchanged - to see their city and people flourish. The charity’s moto is ‘Transforming Lives Together,’ collaborating with all agencies to ensure the best outcomes for the most vulnerable people.
The Toy Library: Supporting families to advance the healthy development of their children. The charity increases wellbeing and good mental health by delivering parenting support programmes and providing children with social activities that help them grow, thrive and live healthy, rewarding lives.
England - West Midlands
Standing Tall: Supports and matches people experiencing homelessness into stable jobs and safe homes. Four out of five people helped are still off the streets and in the same job one year later. The charity supports people across the Midlands and North of England to find the right stable job, a safe home, and offers 12 months of appropriate support.
Escape Arts: A community arts and wellbeing charity working across Warwickshire. The charity is dedicated to transforming lives through the power of the arts, with a mission to combat loneliness, enhance mental health, and empower vibrant, strong communities.
The Good Shepherd: Working alongside people in the West Midlands since 1972. Their mission is to end homelessness, support recovery, and create pathways out of poverty. The charity recognises each person’s dignity and potential for growth and delivers services in a person-centred way.
Woodland Heritage: Has a vision of a thriving UK wood culture that benefits the environment, all people, and our economy. The charity champions the good use of home-grown timber from sustainable, productive woodlands for the benefit of present and future generations.
Wales
Rekindle: The only charity in Mid Wales that solely specialises in preventative and early intervention mental health support for 16- to 25-year-olds. Rekindle aims to transform the lives of young adults by providing tailored, person-centred and holistic support to those at risk of poor mental health.
Youth Cymru: A charity empowering young people aged 11–25 to thrive, lead, and achieve their potential. It delivers high-quality, youth-led projects and accredited training, collaborating across Wales and beyond to champion participation, amplify youth voice, and challenge discrimination.
Home-Start Cymru: Offers local community services to improve parent and child wellbeing, confidence and resilience. The Cardiff charity believes that every child deserves a happy and secure childhood, and that parents - during darker times - benefit from emotional support and guidance.
