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Ten charities have won GSK IMPACT Awards* for work to improve health and wellbeing in their communities, and will each receive a prize of £30,000 in unrestricted funding.

The flagship GSK community investment programme, run in partnership with The King’s Fund for almost 20 years, has awarded more than £5.5 million to charities across the UK and provided ongoing development and support to the winners. This year’s winners demonstrated excellence across the criteria, including innovation and management, during the fiercely competitive application process, beating more than 400 applicants to the award.

The 10 winners of the 2016 Awards are:

• Age UK South Lakeland – an organisation working with local older people to help them retain independence and exercise real choice in their lives
• Body and Soul – a London-based national organisation promoting the respect, dignity and wellbeing of children, young people and adults with and affected by HIV
• Carers in Hertfordshire – a county-wide charity supporting carers with information, problem solving and support
• Children North East – a charity aimed at transforming the lives of disadvantaged children
• Falkirk and District Association of Mental Health – an organisation promoting mental health recovery for adults
• Groundswell – a charity enabling homeless people to take more control of their lives, have greater influence on statutory services and play a fuller role in the community
• London Friend – a charity working to improve the health and wellbeing of adult lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people through providing counselling, social support groups, drug and alcohol support, and training for health professionals
• Promoting a More Inclusive Society (PAMIS) – a Scottish charity based in Dundee aiming to improve the lives of people with learning difficulties and their families
• Seesaw – an Oxfordshire organisation responding to the needs of bereaved children and young people
• The Shakespeare Hospice – a Stratford-upon-Avon-based charity providing a range of services for patients and their families, including information and advice and physical, psychological and spiritual care.

Winning charities are given access to free training and leadership development and are given the opportunity to join the GSK IMPACT Awards Network. The increasingly prestigious Network, made up of more than 65 winning organisations, helps winners to continue their professional and leadership development, learning from external sources and each other throughout the year.

One of the 10 winning charities will be named the overall winner of the GSK IMPACT Awards 2016 at an award ceremony recognising all winners to be held at the Science Museum in London on Thursday 12 May 2016. The overall winner will receive an additional £10,000 in funding.

Katie Pinnock, Director, UK & Ireland Charitable Partnerships at GSK, said:

‘For almost 20 years these awards have recognised the incredible impact that charities are having on people’s lives across the country. Every year, we are impressed, inspired and moved by the winning charities, and this year is no exception. They are innovative and talented and have shown commitment and dedication from everyone involved. The programme has grown immensely since we started in 1997, and we are extremely proud of having supported charities improving the health in their communities, often unsung heroes.’

Lisa Weaks, Third Sector Programme Manager at The King’s Fund, said:

‘Charities are an integral part of the health, care and public health sectors. These winners show just how much can be achieved with relatively limited funds, through the passion and dedication of the organisations and their volunteers. They have supported a wide range of people and communities in innovative and inclusive ways, working in challenging areas, demonstrating a detailed understanding of need, and having real impact. Their energy and commitment is inspirational.’

The winners were selected by a judging panel of health and charity experts including Gilly Green, Head of UK Grants at Comic Relief; Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of Big Lottery; Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of MS Society; Philip Hampton, Chair of GSK; and Sir Chris Kelly, Chair of The King’s Fund.

Notes to editors: 

Photos, interviews and case studies available – For further information please call Saskia Kendall on 020 7307 2603 or s.kendall@kingsfund.org.uk. For further information about GSK please contact Anna Carruth on anna.l.carruth@gsk.comand 020 8047 1914.

*GSK IMPACT Awards - The Awards are open to charities with an annual income of between £25,000 and £2 million that are at least three years old. The name ‘IMPACT’ derives from the criteria that winners must have demonstrated in their application submissions: Innovation, Management, Partnership, Achievement,Community Focus and Targeting Need.

The application process for the 2017 GSK IMPACT Awards will open on 1 July 2016, which will also be the Awards’ 20th anniversary. For more information please visit: www.kingsfund.org.uk/gskimpactawards

This year £340,000 in prize money will be awarded to charities through the GSK IMPACT Awards in the UK. Ten winners each receive £30,000 and ten runner-up organisations each receive £3,000. An overall winner will be awarded an additional £10,000 at an award ceremony at the Science Museum in London on Thursday 12 May 2016.

Since the awards began in 1997, 391 community health care charities have received a GSK IMPACT Award and funding totalling £5,553,000.

Supporting information about charities

• An estimated 1.7 million people are currently volunteering in health and social care in the UK. They play a vital role in delivering services and are an increasingly important part of the extended care team for many people.
• A quarter of third sector organisations are involved in the provision of adult health and social care services. Small local charities are often best placed to understand the needs of the UK’s increasingly diverse population; they can often respond more flexibly and creatively than large public sector providers.

GSK – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and health care companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visitwww.gsk.com

The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible care is available to all. For further information please visit www.kingsfund.org.uk