An education and training charity based in Birmingham has made the shortlist for this year’s Charity Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious awards scheme in the sector.

Services For Education has been shortlisted in the Arts, Culture and Heritage category for the education and training work it provided during the pandemic.

The Charity Awards is the sector’s most highly-regarded excellence recognition scheme. All 30 shortlisted charities this year have been judged by an independent panel of industry influencers as having demonstrated best practice in leadership and management, from which other organisations can learn.

Services For Education brings music and well-being to life for children, young people, adults and communities across Birmingham – delivering tuition, running free ensembles, providing free instruments and supporting community choirs.

Sharon Bell, CE from Services For Education, said that despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, the charity was determined to continue supporting people by transferring its services online. Sharon said: “The whole team was keen to ‘do the right thing’ by the children, young people, and communities of Birmingham during lockdown.

“Our teaching staff created digital learning platforms, online lessons replaced face-to-face support and virtual concerts took over from in-person. We’re delighted that the tremendous efforts our team made have been recognised by Services For Education being shortlisted.”

The Charity Awards, which announces its shortlist today (11 May), is the charity world’s longest-running, biggest and best-known awards ceremony. This year’s organisations have been judged by an independent panel of charity leaders as having demonstrated outstanding best practice in leadership and management, from which other organisations can learn.

The ten category winners, plus the recipients of the Overall Award for Excellence and the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement, will be announced at a black-tie dinner on 16 June, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Matthew Nolan, chief executive of Civil Society Media, which organises the Charity Awards, congratulated Services For Education on making the highly-coveted shortlist. He said: “The breadth and quality of the work being done by charities across the UK continues to astonish. Services For Education should be very proud to have made the shortlist.

“For 22 years the Charity Awards have been identifying and celebrating the fantastic work that UK charities do. Our rigorous judging process highlights those charities with the most innovative ideas and the most effective approaches to delivering real change.

“All the nominees on this year’s shortlist are examples of large and small charities who are truly leaders in their field. I wish Services For Education the very best of luck on the night.”

The Shortlist 2022:

Arts, Culture & Heritage

• Centre for Ageing Better
• Immediate Theatre
• Services for Education

Campaigning & Advocacy

• Surviving Economic Abuse
• Tommy’s
• Turn2us

Children & Youth

• Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice
• New Horizon Youth Centre
• Place2Be

Disability

• Brain Injury Matters (NI)
• Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs
• Pure Innovations

Education & Training

• Action Tutoring
• MyBnk
• World Jewish Relief

Environment & Conservation

• FareShare UK
• In Kind Direct
• YHA England & Wales

Grantmaking & Funding

• Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home
• Macmillan Cancer Support
• Smallwood Trust

Healthcare & Medical Research

• Dentaid
• Ovacome
• St John Ambulance

International Aid & Development

• The Lotus Flower
• Pump Aid
• Tea Leaf Trust

Social Care, Advice & Support

• Back on the Map
• Cyfannol Women’s Aid
• Ripple Suicide Prevention

For more information about the Charity Awards 2022, please contact: Jenni O’Donovan, 020 7819 1200, jenni.odonovan@civilsociety.co.uk

The panel of judges for 2022 is:

• Su Sayer OBE
• Rachel Cockett, director of development, Birmingham Museums Trust
• Ruth Davison, chief executive, Refuge
• Martin Edwards, chief executive, Julia’s House
• Sarah Ellis, director of digital development, Royal Shakespeare Company
• Yvonne Field, founder and CEO, the Ubele Initiative
• Richard Hawkes, chief executive, British Asian Trust
• Kris Murali, director of finance and resources, the Scout Association
• Cathy Phelan-Watkins, owner and director, Civil Society Media
• Shane Ryan, global executive director, the Avast Foundation
• Sharika Sharma, head of business development, CCLA
• Chris Sherwood, chief executive, RSPCA
• Priya Singh, chair, NCVO
• Paul Streets, chief executive, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales
• Nicola Toyer, head of charities, Investec

 

Notes to editors:

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