ON 9 November the Locality Awards ’22 Ceremony took place at Sheffield City Hall.
The Locality Awards recognise and celebrate the impact and innovation shown by local community organisations and charities across the country.
The Locality awards are part of Locality Convention, the biggest annual community sector event. Delegates at Locality ’22 were treated to a keynote speech from Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The event covered key topics facing the community sector, ranging from levelling up to the impact of the cost of living on essential services such as foodbanks, mental health services and warm spaces.
The Transforming Lives Award celebrates a community organisation whose support has had a significant impact on changing local people’s lives.
One Community Development Trust, based in Tilbury, Essex, was born out of the recession in 2008, as a means to meet the needs of local residents. One Community deliver a range of employment programmes, money advice, and much more. Their broadening horizons project has enabled local people and families to visit places, sites and events outside of Tilbury, building their confidence and improving aspirations.
As well as receiving a trophy in recognition of their work, Moat House Community Trust has also been awarded £1,000 to invest in their community
Yewande Kannike, CEO of One Community Development Trust said:
“All the years I’ve been coming to locality, I would listen to other people winning the awards and think – could it ever be us? A small, locally based organisation? Today it’s our turn. We’re delighted. It’s going to increase morale among our staff, our volunteers and mean a lot to Tilbury. It will be such a wonderful thing for the local people, for me to come back and say we won”.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Locality said:
“Congratulations to One Community Development Trust for winning the Transforming Lives Award. At Locality, we passionately believe in the power of community to transform lives and create a fairer world. Local community organisations like One Community are the very embodiment of this vision. These organisations have shown incredible leadership, energy, and creativity, stepping up in what have been extraordinarily challenging times.”
One Community Development Trust was joined by 4 other award winners, each making an incredible difference to the lives of people in their communities across England.