2026 Shortlist

Parker Bay Consultancy  

Parker Bay Consultancy is a UK-based consultancy that supports charities and not-for-profits to grow, secure funding, and strengthen governance. Working across the UK, China, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Central America, and the USA, Parker Bay has helped its clients secure over £4m in funding between November 2024 and October 2025 through successful grants from major funders and government programmes.

Founded and led by an award-winning CEO with frontline and executive experience in the charity sector, Parker Bay combines practical insight with professional standards aligned to HM Treasury’s Green Book. In December 2025, the consultancy was recognised by Scottish Enterprise as the Emerging Social Impact Business of the Year, acknowledging its innovation, measurable impact, and international growth.

Parker Bay’s results show clear, lasting value - helping charities become stronger, more confident, and financially sustainable.

Judges praised their commitment to excellence, deep understanding of funders, and transformative impact on charities. They highlighted its ability to deliver sustainable, long‑term solutions beyond the contract period, supported by strong testimonials, affordable ROI, and impressive achievements in its first year of operating.  

Give A Little 

Give A Little, established in 2019, provides one of the most accessible, flexible, and affordable ways for charities to collect cashless donations. Supporting over 10,500 charities and enabling £70m in donations to date, the platform has seen exceptional growth, with £31.5m processed in the past year alone - a 59% year‑on‑year increase.

This success reflects Give A Little’s commitment to removing cost and technical barriers through a wide range of affordable tools and a unique community‑based pricing model. Smaller charities can access a free Basic service, while larger organisations benefit from advanced Premium features such as Gift Aid and data capture. With transparent fees, no contract tie‑ins and unlimited users and devices, Give A Little continually reinvests in its platform to reduce costs, expand impact and help charities thrive in the cashless fundraising landscape.

Judges praised Give a Little’s impressive scale and strong commitment to inclusivity, highlighting its sponsored support that enables smaller charities to access the platform. They noted its exclusive focus on the charity sector, enthusiastic client testimonials, and continual reinvestment to strengthen its model and expand its impact. 

Farewill 

Farewill is an online will writing service that supports more than 400 charities to transform their legacy fundraising. Recognising that one size does not fit all, the organisation works closely with charity partners to tailor solutions for their supporters. Through these partnerships, they’ve facilitated over £1.3b in pledged gifts to charities.

Its scalable model brings together innovative technology, real time data dashboards and specialist legacy expertise to deliver exceptional ROI. With a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 19,000 reviews and an NPS of 94, Farewill is trusted to provide an outstanding supporter experience while driving transformational income for charities.

As they look ahead, Farewill remains committed to innovation and to developing pioneering, results focused solutions that empower charities to deliver exceptional legacy fundraising campaigns.

Judges praised the strong submission for its impressive scope, results, and clear commitment to continuous improvement. They highlighted Farewill’s exclusive focus on charities, its tailored support for organisations of all sizes, and its dedication to the wider sector through accessible webinars and a broad range of well‑evidenced examples. 

Shanty Neale, ScoutsCymru 

In just 18 months, Shanty has transformed ScoutsCymru’s approach to fundraising, building the organisation’s first ever fundraising function entirely from scratch while operating as a one-person team. New to both fundraising and the sector, she has already submitted £837k in applications and secured £400k, including rare core funding, while establishing the systems and long-term pipeline ScoutsCymru previously lacked.

Her innovative programme development has led to major successes including Women in the Hills, two rounds of Taith international exchange funding and a full Democratic Engagement programme culminating in the ScoutsCymru Youth Parliament at the Senedd. She has also demonstrated strong leadership through her role as lead contact during the three-week Taith Bavaria trip. 

Alongside her fundraising achievements, Shanty actively supports colleagues, volunteers and young people, bringing empathy, initiative, and collaboration to everything she does. 

Judges praised the creation of a fundraising function from scratch, securing £400k and repeat competitive funding. They highlighted strong strategic leadership, volunteer management, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable systems that opened new income streams and strengthened the organisation’s long-term prospects. 

Rachel Roland-Whipps, London Youth Choirs 

Rachel was initially considered for a junior role but was quickly offered a manager position due to her immense potential, despite having no prior fundraising experience. From the start, she demonstrated exceptional ownership, quickly mastering new processes, a database, and donor care. Her intelligence, diligence, and trustworthiness impressed senior management and donors alike.

She leads with a quiet yet confident style, always arriving fully prepared - often preparing for others as well - and proactively addresses problems with ready-made solutions. She shows strong teamwork, helping with complex projects, and relates well to volunteers.

Her approach to fundraising is both innovative and grounded in core sector values. Having already proven herself as a manager, Rachel is predicted to have the potential to become a Development Director.

Judges praised the nominee’s ambition, proactive donor management, and impressive growth as someone new to fundraising. They highlighted strong initiative, relationship‑building, problem‑solving and professional stakeholder management, recognising clear development and increasing impact within the role. 

John Symmonds, Thames Hospice 

At 95, John embarked on a series of adrenaline fuelled challenges, breaking a Guinness World Record as the oldest wing walker, abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower, and completing a skydive all in support of Thames Hospice. Having a strong connection to Thames Hospice after his wife was cared for by the Hospice at Home team John was determined to give back.

John’s efforts went far beyond the challenges. He tirelessly fundraised, shaking buckets at local supermarkets and forming bonds with other shoppers supported by the Hospice. He rallied support from neighbours and friends by sending personalised letters, all to encourage more support for the Hospice. 

Thanks to John’s bravery and dedication, he has raised over £19k making a profound difference to Thames Hospice. Beyond the impressive total raised, John shows that age is no barrier to adventure or inspiring others of all ages.

Judges praised his inspirational commitment and deep personal connection to the cause, noting the impressive income he has generated. They highlighted his high‑adrenaline, active fundraising achievements in his late nineties and commended the remarkable nature, extent, and significance of his contribution. 

Childline Board, NSPCC 

For over two decades, the Childline Board has transformed fundraising for Childline through vision, creativity, and relentless dedication. Established by Tom Toumazis MBE, this exceptional group of media-sector leaders has raised an extraordinary £33m, enabling Childline to answer 8.2 million contacts or fund the service for over 2 years, providing a lifeline for millions of vulnerable children in crisis.

Their impact goes far beyond income. Through flagship events like the Childline Ball and Sports Day, they have raised £10m. Innovative collaborations, including Newsquest’s £5.8m gift-in-kind partnership, have amplified campaigns to millions. Alongside this, they’ve secured pro bono services, recruited 200 marathon runners, and inspired an entire industry to champion child protection. Their sustained vision and influence have set a benchmark for volunteer led fundraising. 

Judges praised the Childline Board for its exceptional long‑term impact, noting over 20 years of commitment and £33m raised. They highlighted the dedication of busy C‑suite volunteers who give their time, resources, and networks to support the charity. Their sustained contribution and commitment across all areas were particularly commended. 

Brian Abram, Back Up Trust and the Spinal Injuries Association 

Following a cycling accident in 2013 where Brian was left with a spinal cord injury and as a full-time wheelchair user, he decided to start writing stories for his grandson Charles about the adventures of Grandad Wheels. Brian self-published his stories in 2019 and kindly donates all the profits from his book sales to two charities supporting others affected by spinal cord injury, Back Up Trust and the Spinal Injuries Association. 

Over the past 5 years Brian has published 6 books, raised nearly £100k for the two charities, visited over 200 primary schools and spoken to over 40,000 children about life in a wheelchair. He selflessly gives up his time to do all of this, creating awareness of the charities, explaining what spinal cord injury is and how people are affected by it, and in turn dispelling the myths for children of life in a wheelchair.

Judges highlighted Brian’s inspirational background and long-term commitment, noting the £17k he has raised and his dedication in visiting schools each year. They recognised his personal connection to the charities he supports, his efforts to break down barriers through nationwide talks, and his unique fundraising approach through a six-book series. 

Barnardo's and Co-op 

Barnardo’s and Co-op’s partnership is transforming futures across the UK. United by shared values, they set out to raise £5m to support 750,000 young people with positive futures through access to food, mental wellbeing support, and opportunities to learn and connect.

Their approach is innovative and youth-led: 20 services co-designed with over 1,400 young people, online support designed by over 600 young people and advocacy activity led by young people. A Youth Advisory Group supports all elements of the partnership. 

They reached their initial targets ahead of schedule, with 92% reporting improved mental wellbeing and 96% feeling their voices have been heard. The partnership has influenced national policy, including the extension of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme and an increase in value of the Healthy Start Vouchers. As a result, they have extended their partnership and now aim to raise £7m to support 1m young people. 

The judges praised the exceptional co‑creation, ambition and impact demonstrated by this charity-business partnership. They noted that it not only showed remarkable ambition but also exceeded expectations, delivering significant benefits for young people, strengthening employee engagement, and helping Barnardo’s pursue its wider strategic goals.

Social Bite and Mitchells & Butlers 

Hospitality ending homelessness: Mitchells & Butlers, leading UK restaurant and pub group, partnered with Social Bite, a small charity and social business, to elevate 3 life-changing jobs, food and homes programmes helping people break the cycle of homelessness.

Grown from the seed of a local relationship during the pandemic, in 2024 M&Bs took the partnership group-wide, onboarding brands such as Toby Carvery, Harvester, All Bar One and Browns – pledging to raise at least £1m (plus £500k matched funding) for year one alone. Social Bite had developed pioneering employment, food, and housing programmes, and were seeking a large employer partner to expand scale and reach. 

Last year alone, together they provided 130,000 Christmas and winter meals with wrap-around support in 193 communities; placed 18 people affected by homelessness into life-changing jobs in phase one of a plan to turn this into hundreds more; and funded new safe places to call home. 

The judges praised the scale, ambition and innovation demonstrated by this partnership. They noted how it enabled Social Bite to build strategic capability while also delivering tangible outcomes. The judges were particularly impressed by the strength of the early results, describing the partnership as highly scalable, and well positioned to achieve sustained nationwide impact.

Crisis and Specsavers 

Specsavers and Crisis have forged a pioneering national partnership to break down the barriers that prevent people experiencing homelessness from accessing essential healthcare. Rooted in shared values and a commitment to social inclusion, the collaboration has delivered free, trauma-informed eye- and ear-care clinics across Crisis Skylights, alongside over £300k in combined fundraising and corporate support, with over £100k invested in Crisis’s Homeless Health Peer Advocacy service. Specsavers colleagues have gone beyond fundraising – volunteering their time, delivering clinical expertise, and adopting fairer recruitment practices that created employment opportunities for people with lived experience of homelessness.

Together, the organisations have improved health outcomes, confidence, and independence for hundreds of people, while inspiring colleagues and challenging outdated perceptions of homelessness. This values-driven partnership demonstrates how a business-charity relationship can deliver tangible, life-changing results and contribute to long-term solutions to end homelessness. 

The judges praised this partnership for its strong strategic alignment, its innovative approach, and the clear benefits delivered for both organisations. They highlighted how Specsavers’ expertise was applied in a highly targeted and responsive way, directly addressing the breadth of Crisis’ needs. The judges felt this demonstrated a robust model of charity-business collaboration.

This is Hospice Care: Hospice UK 

With rising costs and growing demand, legacy giving is more critical than ever to the future of hospice care. Yet in a crowded charity landscape, hospice voices are struggling to be heard, and misconceptions are holding support back. 

So, for the first time ever, Hospice UK came together with 143 hospices across England, Scotland, and Wales behind one powerful message: ‘This Is Hospice Care: Help it live on for all, for now, forever’. 

In partnership with RAW London, JAA Media, and Stand, the campaign shifted public perceptions to celebrate the incredible breadth of hospice care - and why it is vital we come together to protect it. 

At the core is a bold, emotional brand response TV advert and integrated national PR strategy aimed at a 55+ audience. Surrounding this is a flexible creative which empowers each hospice to stay true to their unique brands, under a unified legacy call to action.  

The judges said the campaign had clear goals and a strong rationale rooted in the legacy giving opportunity. They noted solid metrics and effective refinement of a broad audience through insight. The creative was well aligned to brand and purpose, and the nationwide hospice collaboration was seen as ambitious and highly successful. 

You Could Do Wonders: NSPCC X Octopus Legacy 

Launched in November 2024, this campaign reimagined how NSPCC identifies and inspires future legacy supporters. By combining Octopus Legacy’s digital expertise, behavioural insight and will writing services with NSPCC’s mission, the campaign opened access to entirely new, high intent audiences far beyond the charity’s traditional reach. Using a pioneering blend of demographic, behaviour, and intent based targeting, the campaign engaged people actively considering wills, financial planning, and charitable giving.

The results were transformative with more than 30 million people reached across all channels, generating an impressive 13% pledge rate among cold audiences. Six in ten gifts were also residual, helping secure long-term impact, and the campaign delivered an estimated £2.3m in future pledged income. Together, these outcomes set a new benchmark for legacy acquisition and demonstrated the power of innovative digital fundraising.

The judges said the campaign had clear objectives, strong rationale and results that exceeded legacy benchmarks. They praised the robust audience insight, ambitious activation of new audiences and the effective multichannel approach, supported by differentiated channels and innovative partnerships. 

Stay in the Fight: Oxfam GB 

After an 18month hiatus, Oxfam’s Legacy 2025 campaign reframed legacy giving as enduring activism, reenergising ABC1 55+ supporters with authentic, intergenerational storytelling and culturally timed bursts.

A full funnel mix - TV (30"/60"), national radio, digital (Meta leadgen, PPC, display, quiz), retail, email, and optimised web - turned emotion into measurable action. 

The results included 1469 enquiries up 64% year-on year, +4.6% consideration, 44 in period pledges (+40 via new TM), 984% increase in legacy web traffic, and all delivered on a £605k media budget with strong cost efficiency and share of voice. Distinctive creative using real activists ensured authenticity, aligned to Oxfam’s values, and set a new benchmark for integrated legacy fundraising.

The judges said the campaign had clear objectives, a strong strategic rationale and compelling success metrics. They praised the well‑defined audience, thoughtful inclusion of diversity and inclusion, effective multi‑channel delivery, and powerful creative approach, including the innovative digital quiz that deepened engagement. 

Charlie Blackwell, MQ Mental Health Research 

When the nominator met Charlie earlier this year, they were struck by his maturity, positivity, and deep sense of purpose. Despite the significant mental health challenges faced within his family, Charlie has channelled his experiences into compassion, resilience, and a powerful drive to help others.

His fundraising challenge, his work supporting young people through school drop-in sessions, and his advocacy for better mental health research all demonstrate remarkable commitment for someone his age.

Charlie never seeks recognition; instead, he focuses on raising awareness and highlighting the urgent need for improved mental health research. He is, in every sense, an unsung hero whose actions continue to inspire those around him.

Judges praised Charlie’s outstanding commitment and personal drive, highlighting his impressive fundraising for MQ Mental Health Research and the challenging Alpine Trek he completed. They commended his wider leadership in setting up mental health drop-in sessions at school and his role as the first Young Ambassador at the REAL Summit. 

Kooko Kwei, Ty Hafan 

Kooko, at the age of 5, started walking to help Ty Hafan walk alongside families through their child’s life, death and beyond. Since then, she has increased the stakes and done bigger and longer walks with her doing 25 miles in a day in 2025 at the age of 10. She has done amazingly well by completing these challenges and raising over £4k for the charity. Kooko is very deserving of recognition for her hard work, strength, and kindness. 

The charity honestly appreciates everything she has done from these challenges, to being a champion of their match fund appeals, and in volunteering to cheer at third party events. Kooko is a champion in her own right – Ty Hafan cannot thank her enough for being such a star!

Judges praised Kooko’s exceptional commitment to fundraising, noting that she has supported Tŷ Hafan every year since the age of five. They highlighted her increasing ambition, willingness to take on challenging activities, and her ability to inspire others through cheer squads, peer engagement, and her Brownie Pack. Her dedication and the scale of her achievements at such a young age were commended. 

Ruby Sheffield, Royal British Legion 

Ruby is a remarkable 12-year-old volunteer fundraiser who has dedicated eight years to supporting the Royal British Legion. Inspired by her father’s service in the British Army’s Royal Logistics Corps, Ruby began fundraising at just four years old after attending her local Remembrance parade. 

Since then, Ruby has crafted over 100,000 handmade items, raised an impressive £16.5k and become a passionate advocate for veterans and their families. Her innovative use of poetry, including her widely shared poem “I See You,” has brought powerful veteran stories to local, national, and international audiences. Alongside media appearances and community engagement, Ruby has raised vital funds for the Royal British Legion while inspiring others through kindness, creativity, and dedication.

Judges praised Ruby’s long‑standing commitment and passion for supporting the Royal British Legion. They highlighted her remarkable fundraising achievements over eight years, her creativity and innovation, and her dedication to inspiring others to get involved. Her role as an advocate and her sustained impact were commended. 

Arrive Alive 

Arrive Alive is the UK’s only registered charity dedicated solely to funding lifesaving vehicles and equipment for volunteer Community First Responders (CFRs). Operating across the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, the charity ensures CFRs can reach 999 emergencies quickly, often arriving before an ambulance. In the last 18 months alone, Arrive Alive–funded vehicles have attended over 4,000 emergency callouts.

The charity’s success is driven by a clear mission, strong community engagement and innovative fundraising that transforms donations into immediate frontline impact. Entirely funded by the public and corporate supporters, Arrive Alive places fully equipped emergency vehicles into communities that need them most, directly improving survival chances for patients in life-threatening situations.

This nomination celebrates a charity that is saving lives daily, empowering volunteers and strengthening emergency response across the region.

Judges recognised Arrive Alive’s vital role in supporting its communities and noted the strength of its storytelling, passion, and partnerships with other service providers. They commended the charity’s ability to build relationships across multiple income streams and its clear commitment to its mission. 

Purple Heart Wishes 

Purple Heart Wishes is a small charity making a big impact through a truly innovative approach to fundraising. In response to the cost-of-living crisis and post-pandemic challenges, they developed a unique model: running food and drink kiosks at major venues, Manchester City FC and the AO Arena, with a percentage of takings donated directly to the charity.

This has created a sustainable, service-based income stream that does not rely on direct public donations - freeing their team to fund more wishes for adults living with terminal illness. It is a model built on teamwork, community, and compassion.

Run entirely by volunteers, the “Purple Army” has helped the charity increase wish delivery by over 50% year-on-year. With expansion plans in progress, including conversations with Manchester United and major UK festivals, this is a story of a small charity leading the way with heart, strategy, and a truly scalable solution.

The judges said that the organisation’s approach was inspirational and had a strong focus on innovation, highlighting its efforts to develop a new sustainable income stream and its commitment to its team and volunteers. They recognised the ambition behind its plans and its willingness to try new approaches to support its mission. 

Bright Futures UK 

Bright Futures UK is nominated for its exceptional growth, innovation, and impact in ad-dressing illness-related education loss. The charity exists to ensure that no young person must choose between their health and their future. 

Operating on a small budget, the charity supported 637 young people in 2024 and over 2,000 by late-2025 through their cost-effective, volunteer-led model. Since June 2024, the volunteer base has also grown by 72%, enabling thousands of hours of tailored support to be delivered without compromising quality or safeguarding standards.

Fundraising is underpinned by strong evidence, lived experience and strategic partnerships with schools, NHS hospitals, consultancies, and policymakers. By combining service delivery with national advocacy and prioritising sustainability and wellbeing, Bright Futures UK has built a powerful fundraising model that protects young people’s futures and drives systemic change.

The judges recognised Bright Futures’ strong commitment to addressing an important issue and its impressive growth in reaching more people. They highlighted the charity’s authentic approach, effective integration of fundraising and its strong partnerships and collaborations. 

Hospice UK 

Hospice UK is a national champion for hospice care, with a unique remit. While only a small team, they wear two hats. They must raise income for themselves - and as an umbrella body not directly providing services, this can be tricky in the current climate – and they must support hospices to raise more funds locally at a time when they face severe financial pressure.

This year, they exceeded income targets, achieving the best results in their history. They have also united the hospice sector to work more closely than ever before, leading a highly successful and collaborative national TV legacy brand campaign involving 143 hospices.

As part of their new strategy, people are placed at the heart of the organisation’s success, recognised as its most important asset. There is a strong commitment to helping staff learn, develop, and grow, supported by two years of focused work on psychological safety and investing more in the team’s learning and development.

The judges said the charity shows a strong team culture, a clear focus on its mission and impressive performance across multiple income streams. They highlighted its overall growth, the launch of initiatives such as the legacy campaign and its contribution to the wider hospice fundraising sector. 

Prostate Cancer Research 

In the last 2 years, Prostate Cancer Research’s public fundraising team delivered exceptional growth by combining ambition with humanity. In just two years, total income has more than doubled to over £6m, regular givers went up fivefold, the number of supporters increased over fivefold and income from events skyrocketed. 

Behind the numbers sits a small, collaborative team that put supporters at the heart of everything they did. Testing ideas, learning quickly, and building trust through honesty. Agile ways of working, a culture of curiosity and a willingness to be bold transformed what felt possible.

This is a team that did not just raise more money. They changed how fundraising is done in the charity, creating sustainable growth that directly accelerates life-saving research and impact for people affected by prostate cancer. 

The judges said Prostate Cancer Research has shown impressive income growth, driven by a strong culture and agile, supporter focused approach. They highlighted its adoption of new technology, its test and learn mindset and the growing confidence and impact of its fundraising. 

SolarAid 

In 2024 a small team of fundraisers facing a challenging year working across a range of income streams, dug deep, demonstrating resilience and producing an extraordinary performance which they continue to build on to this day. 

Despite the prospect of facing a significant shortfall in unrestricted funds the year was one of SolarAid’s most successful for fundraising in its 20 year history including the largest grant ever secured for €1.4m, one of the charities biggest corporate partnerships for £1m, one of the largest individual major gifts of £250k, and significant growth in individual giving from investing in fundraising. 

All this led to impact on the ground - including reaching 100% of a remote community in Malawi with solar powered electricity for the first time.

The team have continued to build on this success and 2025 is set to be even better.

The judges said SolarAid delivered strong results across the board, showing clear growth across multiple income lines and responding positively to the challenges they faced. They highlighted the charity’s strong team approach, impressive metrics, and the positive impact of its investment.