Power of Community award winner: High Trees Community Development Trust 

The Power of Community award celebrates community organisations working with local people to shape their own future and to build a fairer society where everyone in the community thrives.

High Trees Community Development Trust launched the Lambeth Peer Action Collective alongside partners, with an aim to empower local young people to tackle violence. Young people themselves gained skills and opportunities by researching violence locally, campaigning and influencing policy makers. They even allocated £150,000 of funding to make long-lasting change in their local area.

Runners up:

• Rotunda
• Tree Shepherd 

Transforming Lives award winner: St Paul's Community Development Trust

The Transforming Lives award celebrates community organisations whose support has had a significant impact on changing local people’s lives.

St Paul's Community Development Trust has supported families in Balsall Heath, Birmingham for over 50 years. Last year, through education, a city farm, and wellbeing and family services, they improved the lives of 3,200 people, providing hope, healing and connection.

Runners up:

• Be The Change Youth Project
• C-Change West London

Building Inclusive Communities award winner: The Ethnic Minority Council 

Supported by Howden, the Building Inclusive Communities award celebrates community organisations that connect diverse groups of people and create inclusive spaces.

The Ethnic Minority Council work in the West Midlands to support underrepresented and marginalised communities. Through a huge range of activities like remembrance events, regular groups and museum exhibitions, they help thousands of people who might never otherwise have met to share stories, challenge assumptions, and build meaningful relationships.

Runners up:

• Halifax Opportunities Trust
• Liberdade Community Development Trust 

Enterprising Organisation award winner: Community Ventures (Middlesborough)

The Enterprising Organisation award celebrates community organisations that have developed a creative business model that makes them successful and financially resilient.

Community Ventures in Middlesbrough responds to local need – when residents told them housing was their biggest challenge, they secured nearly £2 million in social investment and brought 38 empty homes back into use. They even opened a community shop to supply appliances and furniture, providing homes, jobs and hope.

Runners up:

• Acton Arts Project
• Impact Hub Yorkshire 

Community Heritage award winner: The Winch

New for 2025 and supported by Historic England, the Community Heritage award celebrates community organisations that have used a heritage building or space to improve the lives of their community. 

The Winchester Project (The Winch) rescued Belsize Community Library from closure in 2012. Originally built in 1937, its open-plan layout strengthens local connections, allowing people attending different activities to bump into each other. Its baby groups, Faarsi and Hebrew storytimes, weekly ‘Crafternoon’ and music nights now attract 10,000 people a year to read, learn, gather and connect. 

Runners up:

• Byrne Avenue Baths
• Acumen Community Buildings
• Bramley Baths and Community Trust

Keep it Local award winner: Shropshire Council

Supported by Lloyds Bank Foundation, the Keep it Local award celebrates local authorities and health bodies that work with local community organisations to unlock the power of their community. It's part of Locality's Keep it Local campaign.

Shropshire Council are working with local community groups to pilot a Community Covenant in Market Drayton, something the We’re Right Here campaign has been calling for. The community covenant is a radical, neighbourhood-level power-sharing agreement that will allow local people to make decisions like local health services are delivered.

Runners up:

• South Tyneside Council
• Wiltshire Council 

You can read about all the runners up here.