Weston Charity Awards winners announced for 2025
Howard Lake | 7 July 2025 | News
A group of 21 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 the vital work of small charities across the UK, and are designed to amplify their impact and boost their long-term resilience.
This year 160 charities applied, and 21 were selected from them, coming from the Midlands, Wales, and the North of England.
What the winners receive
Each will receive a “regenerative support package” valued at over £22,000. This includes free access to the Pilotlight 360 programme – an 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.
Advertisement
In addition, Award winners will receive a grant of £6,500 from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Since launching in 2014, over 200 charities have received Weston Charity Awards. The most recent impact report shows the impact that it has on the winners: six months after participating in Pilotlight 360, 100% of charity leaders said it positively impacted the effectiveness of their senior management team.
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.”
2025 winners
This year’s winners work across a broad variety of areas, 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!”
Other winners include charities Home-Start Cymru (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).
2026 awards
Applications for next year’s Weston Charity Awards will open in October 2025.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.