Press release: Become win Impact award 

Become, the national charity for children in care and young care leavers, has won a national award. It was one of six winners in the UK Charity Governance Awards 2024, which were announced during a live ceremony in London on 30 May. The six winning charities each took home a prize of a £5,000 unrestricted grant.

Become won the ‘Improving Impact in Small Charities (4-30 paid staff)’ category, for developing the charity as a leading campaigning organisation to improve outcomes for care-experienced young people. The trustees designed a new Policy, Communications and Campaigns directorate, appointed a new CEO, ensured 50% of trustees are care-experienced, and embraced digital innovation to expand its reach to young people.

Leslie Morphy, Chair of the Board at Become said:

“Today, there are more children in care than ever before and children’s social care is under huge pressure. The young people we support want change. And so, we invested in becoming a campaigning organisation as well as a service provider. I would like to express my deepest thanks to Become’s board members, past and present, our whole staff team for their tireless work, and most importantly, all the young people who have steered us in the direction we need to go.”

Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar, Clerk to The Clothworkers’ Company, the organisers of the awards, said:

“A huge congratulations to Become and all our brilliant winners, and to everyone who made it onto the shortlist. Yet again, so many success stories, often in the face of immense challenge, have made it tough for the judges to pick the best of the best. 

“Around two-thirds of our shortlist were small charities with under 30 employees – an even greater showing than last year – which demonstrates what incredible things can be achieved when you have outstanding trustees on board and harness those talents in innovative ways. I hope the whole sector will be inspired by the great work our winners, and nominees, have achieved.”

Each winner received a £5,000 cash prize (as an unrestricted grant), with all runners-up receiving a prize of £1,000. All the winners and shortlisted charities were also rewarded with a paid one-year membership of the Association of Chairs for their board, and a complementary place on a Cause4 Trustee Leadership Programme for a new member of their board.

The ceremony took place at Drapers’ Hall in London and featured a keynote speech from Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trust and former Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth.

Charity Governance Awards 2024 – Winners and runners-up in full

Board Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• [Winner] Disability Rights UK
• [Special Commendation] SignHealth
• [Runner-up] Possible
• [Runner-up] Students Organising for Sustainability

Transforming with Digital

• [Winner] Crohn’s & Colitis UK
• [Runner-up] Cash for Kids

Improving Impact in Small Charities (0-3 paid staff)

• [Winner] APARU
• [Runner-up] Number Champions
• [Runner-up] Teenage Helpline

Improving Impact in Small Charities (4-30 paid staff)

• [Winner] Become Charity
• [Runner-up] 999 Club
• [Runner-up] Unfold

People in Governance

• [Winner] Magpie Dance
• [Runner-up] Breaking Barriers
• [Runner-up] Candlelighters Trust

From Systemic Challenge to Meaningful Change

• [Winner] Recovery CYMRU
• [Runner-up] South West Blood Bikes
• [Runner-up] The Scottish Pantry Network

Stories of all the winning charities and shortlisted entrants can be found at www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk under ‘Shortlist and Winners’.

For the Charity Governance Awards, The Clothworkers’ Company – a City of London livery company that supports trusteeship initiatives – is partnered with not-for-profit consultancy New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), third sector recruitment specialists Prospectus, and the trustee-matching charity Reach Volunteering.

You can follow the awards on Twitter via @CharityGovAward or by using the hashtag #CharityGov24. For more information visit www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk.