The annual VAL Awards 2022 acknowledged and celebrated the ‘real heroes of the Pandemic’, an inspiring evening in Leicester.
Voluntary and charity hub, Voluntary Action LeicesterShire organised the glittering awards at Mercure Grand Hotel. The headline sponsor for the event was Morningside Pharmaceuticals. The awards ceremony took place on the 16th of September, celebrating the inspiring individuals and organisations of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. It was for those that have gone and beyond in their support of others during and since the pandemic.
The public was invited to nominate their ‘real-life heroes’ earlier in the year. Hundreds of nominations were submitted for the people and organisations at the sharp end of community service and care in our county.
The sell-out event attracted over 220 guests and took place on 16 September. The awards were made possible by the generous support of local businesses. Sponsors included Morningside Pharmaceuticals alongside BHIB, Hastings Direct, East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, Mortgage Advice Bureau, Everything Global, Paragon Sales Solutions and Fraser Urquhart Media. Money raised allowed the event to run without charge to finalists and their guests.
The winners of the VAL Awards 2022 were as follows:
- City Charity of the Year: Sponsored by Gigabit Networks – Eyres Monsell Club for Young People
- County Charity of the Year: Sponsored by Hastings Direct – Hope Against Cancer
- Rutland Charity of the Year: Sponsored by Fraser Urguhart Media – Rutland Clothing Bank
- Social Enterprise of the Year: Sponsored by Everything Branded – Action Trust – Action Homeless
- Volunteer-Led Organisation of the Year: Sponsored by BHIB Insurance Brokers – We Care UK
- Trustee of the Year: Sponsored by Paragon Sales Solutions – Ian Knight (Menphys)
- Volunteer of the Year: Sponsored by Johnson Astills Solicitors – Praful Thakrar (Shreeji Dham Haveli)
- Inspiring Leader of the Year: Sponsored by Mortgage Advice Bureau – Dr Iris Lightfoote (The Race Equality Centre)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Sponsored by Voluntary Action LeicesterShire – JOINT WINNER Kathryn Burgess (CALS Community Advice and Law Service) and Priya Thamotheram (Highfield Centre)
- Charity of the Year: Sponsored by Morningside Pharmaceuticals – Eyres Monsell Club for Young People
Information on the VAL Awards 2023 will be revealed in due course.
