FareShare is the UK’s 2017 Charity of the Year

The food redistribution charity FareShare has been named Charity of the Year at the Third Sector Awards.

The winners of the awards, which recognise the outstanding work carried out by charities, not-for-profit organisations and their partners, were announced at a black-tie dinner at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, hosted by the comedian Hal Cruttenden. The awards were supported by the headline sponsor Markel, the specialist insurance firm.

FareShare sends good food that would otherwise be thrown away to charities and community groups, which turn it into meals for vulnerable people. It saved more than 13,000 tonnes of food last year, which was turned into more than 28 million meals.

Other winners on the night included the homelessness charity Crisis, which won two awards on the night: Fundraising Campaign for its Croydon Capital Appeal and Fundraising Team of the Year.

Deborah Alsina of Bowel Cancer UK won the Charity Chief Executive award, Anna Rose Barker was named Charity Chair of the Year for her work with the British Youth Council and Jonathan Spiers of the autism research charity Autistica took home the Rising Chief Executive award, which is given to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to their organisation or the wider sector during their first two years in post.

The charities Autism Life Dogs and On Road, which aims to tackle social problems by improving media coverage of misrepresented groups and issues, were the joint winners of the Small Charity, Big Achiever award, which is open to organisations with annual incomes of less than £500,000 that have made a significant impact with their work.

Autism Life Dogs was honoured for its work in placing assistance dogs as companions for children who are on the autistic spectrum. On Road was recognised for its campaign All About Trans, which aimed to change the visibility and portrayal of transgender people in the UK media.

The husband-and-wife pair of wildlife presenter Steve Backshall and rower Helen Glover were named Celebrity Charity Champions for their work supporting the conservation charity the World Land Trust.

Lisa Mari Hilder, trustee of Winner, the Preston Road Women’s Centre in Hull, who has helped to raise more than £10m for women’s services in Yorkshire, took home the Volunteer of the Year award.