Charities in the North of England, the Midlands and Wales with an income of less than £5m a year are being urged to apply for a grant and support package worth £22,000.

The Weston Charity Awards is run by the Garfield Weston Foundation and is offering unrestricted grants of £6,500 to 22 successful applicants.

In addition, they will be offered free access to a leadership support package through the award scheme’s charity partner Pilotlight. This support is worth an estimated £16,000.

Applications opened this month and close on 10 January 2024.

The leadership support includes mentoring from professionals in private and public sector organisations. These will offer coaching on “everything from creative operational efficiencies to sustainable long-term business strategies that take an organisation to the next level”, said Pilotlight.

Also including in this support is peer-to-peer support sessions with other award winner, best practice sharing and collaborative events. A “celebratory event” for all successful applications will also be staged.

Applications should be from a senior figure at a charity, such as a chief executive, who should explain how the award would make a difference to beneficiaries.

Shortlist meetings are set to take place between January and March next year and winners will be formally announced in June.

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