Greenham Trust Charity Awards celebrates brilliant individuals and charities who deserve recognition

The Greenham Trust charity awards are back, writes Bethany Sirianni.

The awards will be returning to the stage to recognise the admirable work of charitable organisations and individuals.

The event will take place on Thursday, November 6 at the Newbury Corn Exchange, followed by an Oscars-style after party at the Waterside Centre.

For 2025, Greenham Trust has introduced several new award categories to recognise a wider range of achievements and broaden the reach of the awards.

The trust is especially excited to announce the new People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Newbury BID, which allows members of the public to have a say.

In addition to receiving a trophy, the winner of the People’s Choice Award will receive a grant from Greenham Trust of £5,000 towards a project on Greenham Trust’s funding platform, The Good Exchange.

There is also an award for Community Group of the Year, sponsored by Newbury Building Society, which is aimed at all community groups.

The other award categories are:

Best Charity Collaboration

Best Community Event

Best Fundraising Event

Best Innovation

Team of the Year

Unsung Hero

The trust said it welcomes more nominations this year, in particular, from those who have not applied before.

The awards offers an opportunity to promote and recognise those who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the local community.

The closing date for applications is Friday, September 12. For more information and to download an application form go to greenhamtrust.com/awards

Chris Boulton, chief executive of Greenham Trust, said: “We are delighted to host the Charity Awards again this year which has become a firm fixture in many charities’ calendars.

“Our aim in introducing new award categories is to widen the net and attract an increased number of applications from a broader audience, making the event bigger and better than ever.

“We are looking forward to reviewing all the applications and nominations and learning more about everyone’s fantastic achievements.”

Meryl Praill MBE, founder of Newbury Soup Kitchen and winner of Greenham Trust Charity of the Year in 2024, said: “I was humbled and chuffed to win Charity of the Year in 2024 and collecting the award was a huge honour not just for me, but for the 50 plus volunteers who helped make this happen.

“I would encourage everyone in the charitable sector to apply for an award – it really is a great way to publicly acknowledge and thank those working with, volunteering for or supporting you.”

The 2025 awards event will be hosted by comedian, writer and actor Marcus Brigstocke.

Tickets for both the awards event and the after party can be reserved through the Corn Exchange Box Office - https://cornexchangenew.com/events

Tickets for the awards are free of charge and demand is likely to be high with approximately 200 seats already booked.

Tickets for the after party cost £13.25 each, or £11.25 each if you purchase five or more tickets.