The three chosen charities for this year's awards ceremony are
St Giles Hospice
St Giles Hospice (Our Local Charity) is a registered charity founded in 1983 by the Reverend Paul Brothwell, originally to improve the care of local people dying with cancer. They now support people in our community whose illnesses may not be curable such as cancer, Motor Neurone Disease (MND), heart failure, MS and respiratory disease. They also offer support for families and helpers.
The Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts is a federation of 46 independent charities that work to protect wildlife and bring people closer to nature. The Wildlife Trusts is the largest voluntary organization in the UK dedicated to conservation, with over 900,000 members and 39,000 volunteers.
Every Wildlife Trust is part of The Wildlife Trusts federation and a corporate member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912 and one of the founding members of IUCN – the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Taken together this federation of 47 charities is known as The Wildlife Trusts.
Air Ambulance Northern Ireland
Air Ambulance NI is a charity providing a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Operating 365 days a year, its helicopter crew of a pilot, doctor, and paramedic responds to critical incidents across Northern Ireland. Two AW109 helicopters introduced in 2022 reach anywhere in the province within 25 minutes. The charity relies on public support, needing £2.5m annually, with daily operational costs of £6,850. Public generosity is vital to sustaining the service.