Author: Jill Halford, Partner, Head of Charities
It was a privilege, last Thursday, to ‘attend’ the Charity Awards: organised by Civil Society Media. The Charity Awards, as the name suggests, celebrates our sector providing a platform to highlight the contributions made by just some of the incredible organisations and people who dedicate themselves to driving social change and making tangible improvements to a wide range of beneficiaries.
We had to leave our ball-gowns at home this year as the Awards were held remotely and while it was a shame to not be physically together, the event was very slickly run with the usual smattering of celebrities to bring some sparkle and the familiar face of Ben the pianist (he truly has a tune for every occasion). However, the real stars of the show were, rightly, the charities themselves. Each of the shortlisted charities had a moving story to read and in some cases, you couldn’t help but find yourself moved – horrified? – by the needs they were addressing. The Stephens and George Centenary Charitable Trust, who succeeded in the Education and Training category, told us how in 2012 40% of children in Merthyr Tydfil were found to be functionally illiterate, reminding us – as if we needed it – that we have much to do within our own borders to address inequalities.
Further afield, BDO’s dedicated donor assurance team was delighted to again be sponsoring the International Aid and Development category. Here there were three phenomenal shortlisted charities, it seemed unfair that there could be only one winner. Reading about Conciliation Resources’s work in the Somali Regional State – directly supporting the push for peach, made us think they should be up for a Nobel Peace Prize, while Theatre for A Change showcased an innovative, locally led, successful program which used radio drama to promote sexual rights and health in Malawi which empowers local communities, smashes taboos and ultimately protects the health and lives of target beneficiaries. The winner though, Excellent Development, truly lived up to their name telling us their story of using innovative and accessible techniques to build 1,173 sand dams which have provided over 1 million people living in drought affected areas of the globe with access to clean water.
It was humbling for BDO to lend its name to this category and we want to celebrate all of the organisations who took part in the charity awards, be they applicants, shortlisted charities or the award winners. Congratulations also to Civil Society Media for arranging such a slick event in what must have been challenging circumstances. We hope that next year we’ll all be able to join the celebrations in person!
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