On Wednesday 5 October, we held our Volunteer Impact Awards event to celebrate the impact our volunteers make and recognise outstanding individual contributions.
Thank you!
The star-studded ceremony was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who nominated someone for an award and tuned in to the livestreams on Facebook and YouTube to show your support. And of course, our incredible finalists and winners, who have not only made a positive impact on our community, but also represent the difference our wider volunteering network makes to people every day. We also want to say a big thanks to our staff and celebrity supporters who ensured the event ran smoothly, and in particular to BBC Radio’s Scott Mills who hosted the ceremony seamlessly.
An evening to remember
If you missed it, you can watch the recording on YouTube or Facebook.
The event was held at our Finsbury Park office which was transformed by lights, cameras and plenty of action. At 7pm our host Scott Mills took to the stage, joined by the house band who provided live music throughout the ceremony. We also had messages from MS Society Ambassador Kadina Cox MBE, Chief Executive Officer Nick Moberly and our new Chair of Trustees, Professor Sir Paul Curran. In addition to this, former Maccabees stars and Ambassadors, Felix and Hugo White, performed an exclusive, acoustic version of their song ‘Silence’ during the evening.
Each of our six award categories had three finalists. They were shortlisted from all the Impact Award nominations we received this year, as well as all the Shining Star recipients since the start of 2020.
Each award was presented by a celebrity supporter of the MS Society via video message. So, without further ado, here are our finalists and winners!
Category one: Informing
Finalists: Charlotte Hecht, Carla Callaghan, Kirsty Bennett
Winner: Congratulation to Charlotte Hecht who was presented her award by award-winning actress Nicola Walker.
Category two: Sharing skills and expertise
Finalists: Lorraine Russell, The Self-Management Co-production Team for MS Society Wales, Robert Oldham
Winner: Congratulations to Robert Oldham who was presented with his award by star of Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Bad Girls – Claire King.
Category three: Influencing
Finalists: Simon Hoare MP, Amy Sutherland, Lynne Roberts
Winner: Congratulations to Simon Hoare MP who was presented his award by legendary actor, Alun Armstrong.
Category four: Fundraising
Finalists: Liam Waddington, Gareth Reynolds, Mary’s Snowflake Creations (Catherine and Chris Heaton and Winnie Barrett).
Winner: Congratulations to Gareth Reynolds who was presented his award by Dragon’s Den star, Deborah Meaden.
Category five: Connecting
Finalists: Fiona Salamone, Vicki Brice, Thomas Sykes
Winner: The award went to Thomas Sykes who sadly died unexpectedly in February earlier this year. It was presented by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and accepted on Tom’s behalf by his nephew, Ash.
Category six: Supporting and empowering
Finalists: Louise Nicholas, Chris and Anne Todd, Claire Wakefield
Winners: Congratulations to Chris and Anne Todd who were presented the award by Michellin-starred chef, Tom Kerridge.
We’ll be sharing the stories of our finalists and winners over the coming months, so keep a look out!
A word from our host
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Scott Mills, whose mum is living with MS, said: “The dedication and generosity shown by all of tonight’s nominees and winners is nothing short of spectacular. I know first-hand how important community is for people living with MS and it’s been heart-warming to hear so many inspiring stories this evening.”
It’s not too late to nominate!
If you’re aware of someone who’s making a difference, in any area of our work, we want to hear about them. Whilst the awards ceremony has just taken place, we know our volunteers make a difference every day. And that’s why we’ll be continuing to recognise the efforts of our volunteers throughout the year.
You can find more information about how to nominate someone on the website.
