Suffolk Family Carers Scoops National Award Win

The charity, which is headquartered at Claydon, took the top spot in the Social Care, Advice and Support category at this year’s Charity Awards.

An online ceremony was staged last night Thursday and saw the celebration of the best organisations and projects from within the charity sector across the UK.

Suffolk Family Carers won the award for its Young Carers School Award, which helps to identify young carers at schools and colleges across Suffolk and provides them with a range of support and services.

The charity has seen an unprecedented level of demand upon it throughout the last 15 months, and has supported hundreds of families, individuals and schools through its various initiatives and resources.

Kirsten Alderson, CEO, said: “The team and I are thrilled to have been declared the winner of this award category, and in particular to see the acknowledgment for our Young Carer School Award.

“The award is testament to the incredible amount of energy and commitment which the team at Suffolk Family Carers put in to ensuring we build great relationships with schools across our county, and that we support as many children and families as need us.”

The Charity Awards shortlist is chosen by an independent panel of expert judges, themselves all eminent figures in the charity sector. The judges score each entry against six Hallmarks of Excellence before coming together – by videolink, this year –for two days of challenge and discussion to select the winners. 

Matt Nolan, chief executive of Civil Society Media which organises the Charity Awards, congratulated Suffolk Family Carers on winning the highly-coveted award. He said:

“For 21 years the Charity Awards have been recognising and celebrating the fantastic work that large and small charities do up and down the UK every day of the week.

“After putting the awards programme on ice last year while we waited to see how the pandemic played out, we felt the time was right again to recognise charities and celebrate their great work. Suffolk Family Carers is an outstanding example of charities’ vital role in identifying needs among specific communities, and designing and delivering services to meet those needs. They thoroughly deserve this award.”

For more details about Suffolk Family Carers, please contact 01473 835477.