Read: Levelling up champions celebrated at new awards
Organisations playing a leading role in levelling up the UK have been celebrated at a new set of awards. The Levelling Up Goals Awards recognise those organisations that are committed to boosting opportunity and being truly purpose-led.
MPs, businesses and others throughout the UK nominated organisations for the 14 different award categories which are focused on equality of opportunity at key life stages.
Winners on the night included Tynedale Community Bank, Swindon Housing Company, Hope In Tottenham and Skerne Park Academy in Darlington.
There was also a Lifetime Achievement Award for David Harrison for his work with the Harrison Centre for Social Mobility and an Outstanding Achievement Award to Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of grassroots social justice charity Making the Leap. Levelling Up Spotlight Awards were also given to representatives from Amazon UK, Compass Group UK & Ireland, Persimmon Homes, Shoosmiths, The Adecco Group, Lendlease and Direct Line Group.
The Awards were hosted at Darlington Hippodrome with cross-party backing from Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP, Robbie Moore MP, Dame Margaret Hodge MP, Guy Opperman MP and others. The Levelling Up Goals Awards are Co-Chaired by former Minister for Public Health Seema Kennedy OBE and Peter Gibson, MP for Darlington.
The categories are based around the ‘Levelling Up Goals’ launched earlier this year by former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening. The Goals provide a benchmark for activity focused on driving equality of opportunity from early years through to careers, alongside barriers such as the digital divide, health and infrastructure.
Seema Kennedy OBE said: “A huge congratulations to our winners who have shown that they are playing a key role in helping their communities level up. Accelerated by the pandemic, we are seeing a massive shift in expectations of organisations within society and the 2021 Levelling Up Goals Awards celebrate those that are leading the way in being truly purpose-led.
Co-Chair of the Levelling Up Awards Peter Gibson said “Levelling up can be a reality for communities up and down the UK. These awards show the fantastic work already going on to level up our communities from digital skills to health. This is a crucial moment for our country and it is brilliant to celebrate some of the work underway in our communities to build back better.”
Former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening added: “The Levelling Up Goals are the UK’s first levelling up architecture and give a clear benchmark for organisations to measure their impact against. Levelling up is something that needs to be addressed throughout the UK and it's great to see so many influential organisations and leaders at the forefront of the agenda.
“I’d like to congratulate all the winners of the first Levelling Up Goals Awards and thank them for their commitment to levelling up.”
The Levelling Up Goals Awards are sponsored by the Harrison Centre for Social Mobility, which supports organisations across the UK that work with young people to achieve their potential.
The full list of winners are:
Goal 1: Strong foundations in Early Years
Foundations Nursery (nominated by Tracy Brabin MP)
Goal 2: Successful school years
Skerne Park Academy (nominated by Peter Gibson MP)
Goal 3: Positive destinations Post 16+
Key Project - supported by South Tyneside Churches (nominated by Emma Lewell-Buck MP)
Goal 4: Right advice and experiences
Mark Stanyer from Ormiston Academies Trust (nominated Jack Brereton MP)
Goal 5: Open recruitment
Richard Bridgman from Warren Services (nominated by Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP)
Goal 6: Fair career progression
Edward Butler from Envision (nominated by David Lister)
Goal 7: Widening access to savings & credit
Tynedale Community Bank (nominated by Guy Opperman MP)
Goal 8: Good health and wellbeing
Northumbria Healthcare Trust (nominated by Ian Levy MP)
Goal 9: Extending enterprise
Wendy Spencer from Airedale Enterprise Services (nominated by Robbie Moore MP)
Goal 10: Closing the digital divide
Community TechAid (nominated by Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP)
Goal 11: Infrastructure for opportunity
Ernie Turner from The Advanced Construction Skills Centre (nominated by Karin Smyth MP)
Goal 12: Building homes & sustainable communities
Gary Sumner from Swindon Housing Company (nominated by Robert Buckland MP)
Goal 13: Harness the energy transition
TeesWorks (nominated by David Harrison)
Goal 14: Achieve equality, through diversity & inclusion
Hope In Tottenham (nominated by David Lammy MP)
Lifetime Achievement Award
David Harrison
Outstanding Achievement Award -
Tunde Banjoko OBE
Levelling Up Spotlight winners
There will be an upcoming spotlight series on each of the spotlight winners:
Beth Knight from Amazon UK
Donna Catley from Compass group UK & Ireland
Katie Duggan from Persimmon Homes
Rachel Parker from Shoosmiths
Sandhya Sabapathy from The Adecco Group
Rita Patel-Miller from Lendlease
The Social Mobility Strand at Direct Line Group - namely James Peacock, Emma Best, Georgia Wilde and Emily Little