The Kings Fund - Ten outstanding health and wellbeing charities win 2024 GSK IMPACT Awards

Ten UK charities have been named as winners of the 2024 GSK IMPACT Awards for their excellent work improving health and wellbeing in their communities. 

This year's awards come at a time when many smaller charities find themselves working in a demanding and challenging environment. Rising costs, falling income and increased demand continues to put charities and their finances under extreme pressure. The cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of many local communities, with a record 2.8 million people currently unable to work due to long-term mental or physical illness, and 14 million people living in poverty. Public services are also under additional pressure, meaning there is an increase in people who need support turning to local charities to meet their needs.

The ten winners were chosen from more than 500 charities following a rigorous selection and assessment process. Now in its 27th year, the GSK IMPACT Awards are delivered in partnership with leading health and care charity The King's Fund. The awards are designed to recognise the exemplary work of small and medium-sized charities to improve health and wellbeing in the UK. Winners will receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding as well as expert support and leadership development provided by The King's Fund.   

The ten winners of the 2024 GSK IMPACT Awards are: 

• Amma Birth Companions - a Glasgow-based charity working to improve pregnancy, birth and parenting experiences for individuals facing adversity, including women seeking asylum and refugees.

• AWARE NI - the depression charity for Northern Ireland, offering support and education for people with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

• Care & Repair Cymru - helping vulnerable and disabled older people in Wales to live independently in their own homes.

• Hamara Healthy Living Centre - working to reduce health inequalities and poverty in Leeds, particularly among people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

• Open Door Charity - offering creative and accessible mental health and wellbeing support for young people across the Wirral and Merseyside.

• Orchid Cancer Appeal - supporting men across the UK diagnosed with prostate, testicular or penile cancer and raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of these three male-specific cancers.

• Ivison Trust - a national charity based in Leeds supporting parents and carers whose children are being sexually and criminally exploited from outside the family.

• Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service - supporting the recovery of survivors of domestic abuse across east Kent.

• Together Co - alleviating loneliness to foster stronger, healthier communities in Brighton and Hove.

• Wirral Multicultural Organisation - offering support to improve the health of people from ethnic minority backgrounds across the Borough of Wirral.

A key aim of the GSK IMPACT Awards programme is to support leaders in the charity sector. All winners are invited to build on their success and take part in a tailored leadership development programme run by The King's Fund. Following this, they are invited to join the GSK IMPACT Awards Network, a UK-wide network of nearly 120 previous award winners who work together to develop leaders, find new ways of working and provide mutual support. 

Lisa Weaks, Senior Associate at The King's Fund, said: “It has possibly never been harder to be a leader of a community charity. Charities are facing the triple threat of falling donations, rising costs and increasing demand for their services. Despite this, our winning charities continue to find creative solutions to complex issues, identify where the need is greatest, and offer a much-needed safety net to the most vulnerable people and communities. The determination and passion of their leadership is hugely impressive. With health and care services under unprecedented pressure, and the nation's health in a very poor state, the support provided to local communities by small and medium-sized charities like these has never been more crucial.”

Katie Pinnock, Director, UK Charitable Partnerships at GSK, added: “Every year we are inspired and humbled by the incredible work of the charities applying for a GSK IMPACT Award. With a record number of applications this year, the judges had a very difficult job selecting our outstanding ten final winners. The unrestricted financial contribution and highly sought after leadership and development opportunities offered by the GSK IMPACT Awards will give a valuable boost to these organisations and go some way to providing the support and recognition they deserve.”

Developing leaders in the charity sector is a key aim of the GSK IMPACT Awards programme and all winners are invited to build on their success and take part in a tailored leadership development programme run by The King's Fund.