The event is a celebration of the charity and not-for-profit sector in Stockport, and over the last eight years has resulted in more than £80,000 being donated to local good causes.
There were 66 entries in the 2020 Community Awards, which were whittled down to 14 finalists, chosen for their support of communities in Stockport and the surrounding areas, after a record 12,000 votes were cast.
The winners were announced on Friday night, with the awards ceremony screened on social media.
Top spot for the second year in a row went to Millie’s Trust, which provides education and training in first aid. As a result it received £1,500.
The full list of winners, and their prize totals, is detailed below:
- Millie’s Trust ‒ £1,500
- Seashell Trust ‒ £1,250
- Stockport County Community Foundation ‒ £1,100
- Hatters Outreach Providing Essentials ‒ £1,000
- The Cherry Tree Project ‒ £850
- Bare Necessities Toiletry Bank ‒ £750
- Together Trust ‒ £750
- Signpost Stockport for Carers ‒ £600
- Stockport Mind ‒ £450
- Pure Innovations ‒ £450
- Walthew House ‒ £450
- Easy Peel Studio CIC ‒ £300
- Friends of High Lane and Brookside Parks ‒ £300
- Stockport Pride ‒ £250
There was also a Staff Choice Award, selected by employees of the mutual, which awards an additional £500 of funding. The winner of this award was Hatters Outreach Providing Essentials, which supports the homeless community across Stockport.
Alexander Deakin, marketing and brand manager at Vernon ‒ and the host of the digital awards ceremony ‒ said that this year’s awards were extra special, as the pandemic had made it especially hard for charitable and non-profit organisations to fundraise.
He continued: “All 14 of our finalists are so deserving and we wish we could have celebrated their achievements in person.
“That wasn’t possible this year, so we did the next best thing. On Friday we screened a virtual awards ceremony with all the glitz, glam and Stockport spirit we could muster – dedicated to our amazing winners.”
