PRESS RELEASE: Buckinghamshire Charity Sector Celebrated at Hedsor House
Over the last 12-months Heart of Bucks, the Community Foundation for Buckinghamshire has been celebrating 25 years of supporting small, grassroot charities and community groups to create positive change across the county.
In the last quarter century, the charity has awarded more than £20 million to over 1,500 charitable organisations across Buckinghamshire. Anniversary celebrations have been focused on the impact made by these projects and the Buckinghamshire charity sector as a whole as this is where the real impact is seen.
This celebration culminated with an awards dinner at Hedsor House in Taplow to mark the achievements of just some of the incredible individuals and organisations helping support the people and landscape of the county.
Awards presented on the night
Best Community Collaboration Award Sponsored by Chandler Garvey
Winner: Let’s Get Moving – a seated exercise programme to help those with dementia get moving to help overall wellbeing, run by Dementia Action Marlow in partnership with Horizon Rehabilitation Ltd, Marlow Striders and Buckinghamshire New University.
Runners-Up
Chiltern Comets by Risborough Rangers Junior Football Club, Haddenham Youth Football Club, Wendover Junior Football Club
One Can Trust Children’s Clothes Bank by “Share Enough” initiative and One Can Trust Community Support Team
Shaping Futures by Caudwell Youth, Buckinghamshire Council and Thames Valley Police
Outstanding contribution by an individual to the charity sector in Buckinghamshire sponsored by Esri UK
Winner: Tom Edwards for his volunteer work with Youth Concern in Aylesbury over the last 12-years.
Runners-up:
Caroline Robinson – Youth Enquiry Service (YES), High Wycombe
Joe Kitchen – Thomley, Worminghall
Joy O’Neill – Halton School, Aylesbury Vale Children and Young People’s Board, National Governance Leader, nasen early years advisory group, Countryways CIC, Buckinghamshire Food Partnership/Good Food Bucks.
Outstanding contribution by an organisation to the charity sector in Buckinghamshire – sponsored by Bucks Building Society
Winner: Wycombe Homeless Connection (WHC) For nearly 20 years, WHC has been a consistent presence in Buckinghamshire preventing hundreds of unnecessary evictions, securing homes for people sleeping rough, providing winter night shelters, and offering legal and healthcare navigation.
Runners-up:
Sexual Assault and Abuse Support Service Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes (SAASSBMK)
Aylesbury Youth Motor Project
Forever Colours Children’s Hospice
People’s Choice Award – sponsored by ASM Auto Recycling
An online public vote to award one of the outstanding local community groups or charities we have supported with The People’s Choice Award and £1,000 of unrestricted funding.
Winner: Aylesbury Vale Dynamos – a Buckinghamshire football club with more than 700 members aged from 5 up to 30+ including boys, girls, men, women and pan-disabled allowing them a safe place to play a sport which they are passionate about.
Runners-up
Alinaa Orchestra
Foodrise
In This Together Bucks CIC
Longridge on the Thames
Wendover Youth Centre
The President’s Award, presented by The Countess Howe, Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire and the President of Heart of Bucks.
This Award acknowledges a local philanthropist who not only offers their financial support but goes above and beyond lending their time, experience and expertise to help make Buckinghamshire a better place for all.
This year the award recognised someone who supported Heart of Bucks during this first quarter century, as well as making an impact on the wider Buckinghamshire community, the late Alexander Shephard.
Alexander gave his time as a Trustee at Heart of Bucks from 2004 – 2014 and was a tremendous force in helping establish the community foundation in those early years. His generosity also extended to inviting the charity to use his family home Hedsor House for events and the business becoming a key Community Investor supporting several fundraising events annually. The award was accepted by Alexander’s widow Janey Shephard and their son Mark.
This event was possible at no cost to the Buckinghamshire charity sector through the kind generosity of our sponsors; Hedsor House, Mulberry Trust, CCLA Investment Management, ASM Auto Recycling, Buckinghamshire Building Society, Chandler Garvey and Esri UK.
Heart of Bucks would like to extend thanks to everyone who has supported the organisation over the last quarter century and looks forward to an even more successful next 25-years.
