Celebrating the best of Wiltshire and Swindon

The Wiltshire Life Awards are a wonderful opportunity to showcase the organisations and people who breathe so much life into our communities and once again we were delighted to be a part of it.

As in previous years, we sponsored the Community Group of the Year Award at the event in Devizes and were delighted to see three groups who have received grants from us on the shortlist with two of them emerging as joint winners.

Wiltshire and Swindon Credit Union, which provides affordable loans to people who are unable to get credit elsewhere, and The Platform Project, which aims to reduce youth unemployment by working with local authorities, schools, colleges and employers to help disadvantaged and vulnerable young people develop into work were worthy winners.

Commenting on the event our Joint Chief Executive Fiona Oliver who attended alongside co-joint CEO Vicky Hickey and Chair of Trustees Angus Macpherson, says: “We were thrilled for the brilliant staff, trustees and volunteers at WASCU and The Platform Project, they both contribute so much to the county and make an incredible difference to the people they help.

“Congratulations too to Harnham Community Network for its third place, the way it brings together so many groups for the good of the people who live there is truly inspiring.”

Other winners on the night linked to the voluntary sector included Teacher/Coach of the Year Caroline Radcliffe who runs Music For The Mind classes for Alzheimer’s Support; Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Taking Action For Insects winning Conservation Project of the Year; Willows Counselling and Training winning Charity of the Year – and mental health support group Ipsum coming second; Wiltshire Community Foundation donor Ethan Davids winning Entrepreneur of the Year and Jane Ebel, who is an organiser for the Ukrainian drop-in in Salisbury, being a runner-up in the Local Hero award.

The Youth Adventure Trust, another group regularly supported by Wiltshire Community Foundation, was a deserved winner of the Pride of Wiltshire award for its work with young people on the margins of education.

The largest cheers of the night were reserved for David Rowlands, a trustee at Swindon’s Harbour Project, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fiona Oliver said: “David made a very emotional speech and it was a lovely end to a great evening. Congratulations to all of the winners and everyone nominated. What uplifting stories they all have to tell and what a huge difference they make to people across our county.”

Wiltshire Life publisher Jane Kennedy thanked Wiltshire Community Foundation for its continued involvement. “Once again we are very grateful for Wiltshire Community Foundation’s support for the Wiltshire Life Awards and in particular its sponsorship of Community Group of the Year,” she says.

“It’s fitting that an organisation which does so much to help the community to thrive is at the heart of an event that celebrates its achievements. Our event is aimed at showcasing the amazing work people and organisations do to make life in Wiltshire better and the community foundation is a huge part of that.”