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We hosted our annual awards celebration at the stunning Winstanley House in Leicester, on 17 June 2026 to recognise local businesses for their volunteering contributions.
The awards honour individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond in supporting our projects with time, skills, partnership and donations over the last 12 months
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The award winners were:
Business In Education Award:
Samworth Brothers
Education Volunteer of the Year Award:
Danielle Young - Nelsons Law
SEND Empowerment Award:
Hinckley & Rugby Building Society
Employability Champion Award:
Stepnell
Community Impact Award:
Hinckley & Rugby Building Society
Impact Through Giving Award:
Nylacast Holdings Plc
Rising Star 2026 Award:
Rebecca Green - Motability
Volunteer of the Year Award:
Dean Cross - Haymarket Shopping Centre
Business Member of the Year Award:
Hinckley & Rugby Building Society
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During the awards ceremony, the audience also heard from guest speaker, Julie Wright from Beaumont Leys School about Modern Work Experience and the changes to the careers curriculum which present many opportunities to businesses to give students work experience without the traditional placements. Hayden Batt from Enstruct shared the journey of Enstruct Training, who deliver an alternative learning programme to students aged 16 plus, and shared the enormous impact business volunteers can have on their students.
And Mez Malida, a community activist gave an inspiring talk about the importance of volunteering in the community and the impact everyone can make. .
We were also delighted to welcome three of our young people to the stage, where they shared their participation journeys through a number of our projects and spoke about the positive impact that working with local businesses has had along the way. We also had the privilege of hearing a poem written by one of our young people, Translating the World Twice, which offered a powerful and eloquent insight into his experience of navigating life as a neurodivergent person.
Our Annual Awards Celebration is always a wonderful opportunity to bring together business members, community organisations and young people to celebrate the incredible impact we've achieved together over the previous year. While we were delighted to recognise those who have gone above and beyond, the truth is that every one of our partners is a winner in our eyes. They all demonstrate commitment, generosity and belief in making a real difference every day and we are proud to stand alongside them in creating stronger, more connected communities
Kieran Breen - CEO