North East Charity Awards launches for 2025 to celebrate best of voluntary sector

Awards that celebrate the best of the North East’s charity sector - plus the companies and individuals that do so much to support it - are returning to highlight the region’s best voluntary groups.

The North East Charity Awards are returning for their 11th year with a total of 12 prizes to recognise charities, fundraisers and volunteers. The Charity Awards – which are organised by The Journal and our sister paper on Teesside, The Gazette – aim to shine a light on the region’s top charities and those that work in them, as well as individual fundraisers and businesses that support voluntary groups.

The event will take place on September 11 at The Fed in Gateshead, with entries now open.

Last year, Children’s Cancer North took the top prize of North East Charity of the Year with other winners including New Writing North, Emmaus North East and Newcastle Carers.

The awards are being partnered by RBC Brewin Dolphin, who have been headline partners since the beginning of the awards, with Point North and the Community Foundation for Tyne and Wear Northumberland as associate partners. There will also be support from voluntary sector group VONNE, Banks Group, Muckle LLP, Karbon Homes, Millfield House Foundation, Sage, Eldon Square, Sir James Knott Trust, Motivation in Mainstream and JCE.

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Jeffrey Ball, director of RBC Brewin Dolphin’s North East Charity Team and co-founder of the awards, said: “RBC Brewin Dolphin is proud to once again support these awards to celebrate the tremendous achievements of the charity sector and those that champion it throughout the North East of England.

“Our role at RBC Brewin Dolphin is to help charities make their money work harder, generating a growing income in the short term while protecting against inflation in the long term. We are privileged to work with hundreds of charities across the North East and the UK, helping them make the right investment decisions today to support many more people in years to come.

Journal editor Graeme Whitfield said: “The Charity Awards are always a special night and it’s always humbling to hear of the good work going on in our communities. I hope as many charities and their supporters as possible enter the awards so we can provide recognition for the people and organisations that do so much for this region.”

To enter the awards, or to get more details, people can go to the website northeastcharityawards.co.uk.

The categories are:

Trustee Board of the Year

Uniquely North East Award - sponsored by VONNE

Outstanding Social Enterprise Award - sponsored by Sage

Charity Champion of the Year - sponsored by Banks Group

Corporate Charity Partnership

Young Charity Champion of the Year

Small Charity of the Year - sponsored by Karbon Homes

Rising Star Award

North East Charity of the Year sponsored by Muckle LLP

Outstanding Contribution to Social Change - sponsored by Millfield House Foundation

Charity Leader of the Year - sponsored by RBC Brewin Dolphin

Special Recognition Award - sponsored by Point North and the Community Foundation for Tyne and Wear Northumberland.