# Weston Charity Awards seek charities in North East

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/12/20/weston-charity-awards-seek-charities-north-east/
- Published: 2016-12-20T09:26:55+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The [Garfield Weston Foundation](http://www.garfieldweston.org/) has opened its
2017 [Weston Charity Awards](http://www.westoncharityawards.org/) for applications
and is inviting charities across the North East of England to enter.**

The awards reward small charities working in the areas of youth, welfare and community,
and offers £6,500 in funding as well as access to a team of senior business leaders
through [Pilotlight](http://www.pilotlight.org.uk/).

The deadline for entries is 13^(th) January 2017 via the [awards site](http://www.westoncharityawards.org/how-to-apply/),
and winners will be selected based on their willingness to benefit from the Pilotlight
process, which uses senior business leaders to mentor charities. The funding given
is to support winning charities in making the most of the Pilotlight experience 
and to cover travel expenses to meet their business mentors in London.

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The Foundation aims to select 18 winners. As well as being a registered charity 
and working in the specified fields, applicants must have at least one paid full-
time member of staff in a leadership position, an income of less than £5 million,
and must provide direct services to beneficiaries with the majority of activity 
or beneficiaries in the Midlands or North of England.

David Robinson, chief executive of [LD:NorthEast](http://www.ldne.org.uk/) in North
Tyneside, which won this year, said:

> “Winning a Weston Charity Award is already starting to pay dividends for LD:NorthEast.
> Our team of business mentors are helping us to really look at what we do and ask
> us questions to help unlock solutions to our challenges. It is all aimed at helping
> us to further sharpen our focus so that we will be able to secure funding for 
> the future and develop some vital new services for people with learning disabilities
> in the north east.”

Philippa Charles, director of The Garston Westfield Foundation, said:

> “We are thrilled to once again open the Weston Charity Awards for submissions 
> in the North East. Previous winners have moved forward with a clearer sense of
> direction and confidence in the future, at a time when the sector is facing some
> instability. We hope that their success will inspire more charities to enter this
> year and take full advantage of the support that is on offer as an award winner.”

## Previous winners

You can find out about previous winners of these awards in this video:

 

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