Introduction by David Brindle, public services editor, the Guardian
David Brindle
Welcome to the Guardian Charity Awards. Smaller charities are too often overshadowed by the big players. Even though small is very often beautiful in terms of innovation, flexibility and reach into communities, it's invariably the multi-million-pound household names of the voluntary sector that grab the limelight.
The Guardian Charity Awards seek to redress that. For 18 years, they have showcased excellence among small and medium-sized charities and given a much-needed boost to organisations struggling to get profile and funding to enable them to move forward. To the big players, the message is simple: you cannot win, because you cannot enter.
The awards offer a leg-up to organisations that are delivering practical solutions to present-day problems, especially in today's challenging economic circumstances.
Last year's winners were:
Aik Saath – Together As One, a charity that works with young people in Slough to help tackle gang-related violence
The Comfrey Project, based on Tyneside, which promotes health and wellbeing to refugees and asylum seekers through allotment work
Faith and Football, working with young people in deprived inner-city areas
InterAct, a one-to-one reading service for people who have had strokes
Shannon Trust, which works with the prison service to encourage prisoners to mentor others prisoners to help them read.