More than 20 small charities each win £22,000 of funding and support

A group of 21 small charities have each been handed around £22,000 worth of funding and support.

The charities have been named as winners of the 2025 West Charity Awards, which focuses on supporting small charities in Wales, the Midlands and the North of England. They were selected from 160 applicants.

They will receive a grant of £6,500 from the Garfield Weston Foundation as well as a package of leadership coaching from Pilotlight worth an estimated £16,000.

“Congratulations to all this year’s Weston Charity Award winners,” said Garfield Weston Foundation director Clare Gough.

“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."

Since it launched in 2014 the award scheme has supported more than 200 charities.

Ed Mayo, Chief Executive of Pilotlight added: “Whatever size, charities can have a big impact, but research shows that right now, two universal challenges are income generation and management skills gaps.

“Thanks to Pilotlight’s partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, these Awards provide the lifeline needed for charities to overcome stumbling blocks and navigate times of uncertainty."

Winners include charities Home-Start Cymru, which offers family support in Cardiff, Wales, Standing Tall, the charity that tackles homelessness in the Midlands and North of England) and rehabilitation of ex-offenders charity Tempus Novo.

Another is Woodland Heritage, a charity operating across Wales and the Midlands that champions the use of home-grown timber from sustainable, productive woodlands. Its chief executive John Orchard said, “a Weston Charity Award gives the funds and friends we need to help us plot our course.”

Tom Yaden, chief executive of another recipient, The Good Shepherd, which is a charity that has been working in the West Midlands since 1972 to end homelessness, support recovery, and create pathways out of poverty, said the award will “have a hugely positive impact for the organisation and the people we support.”