North Devon Hospice has been named Large Charity of the Year at the Third Sector Awards 2025.
The award was made based on the charity’s outstanding performance in the past year, which included a record-breaking fundraising initiative and the launch of a certified care volunteer programme.
The judges commended the charity on its entry, saying it showed “real progress” in its delivery of compassionate end-of-life care and “demonstrated an impactful year that deserves celebration”.
Veterans With Dogs, an organisation that trains and pairs assistance dogs with military veterans, won the Small Charity of the Year title.
The food redistribution charity The Bread and Butter Thing took home two wins – Medium Charity of the Year and Best Sustainability Initiative of the Year – for its use of surplus food and its holistic approach to community support through its network of mobile food clubs.
War Child UK also secured two wins. Its Gaza Emergency Response Team was named Frontline Team of the Year, while its celebrity ambassadors, the actor Carey Mulligan and her musician husband Marcus Mumford, won in the Celebrity Charity Champion category.
The income generation team at the hospice umbrella body Hospice UK won the Fundraising Team of the Year award.
The winners of the 35 categories were announced at a lunch event at the Hilton Park Lane hotel in London, hosted by the comedian George Zach and supported by the announcer Alan Dedicoat.
Catherine Mole, chief executive of Dingley’s Promise, a charity that supports children under five with special educational needs and disabilities, was named Charity Chief Executive of the Year.
Abbas Najib, the chief of Better Communities Bradford, was named Rising Chief Executive.
The Unsung Hero award went to Janet Linley for her dedication to foster care work with Child Action Northwest.
The charity insurer Ansvar was the headline sponsor of this year’s Third Sector Awards.
The other sponsors were GatenbySanderson, Utility Aid and Sage.
The full list of winners
Best Charity Film (Large)
Migrant Help, Leaving
Best Charity Film (Medium)
Film & TV Charity, Break the Cycle
Best Charity Film (Small)
African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, Pain into Purpose
Best Policy Initiative of the Year
Refugee Council, Restarting the Asylum System
Best Service Delivery Innovation
Pancreatic Cancer UK, Family History Checker
Best Sustainability Initiative of the Year
The Bread and Butter Thing, Turning Surplus into Support: Co-op and TBBT’s Fresh Take on Food Redistribution
Best Use of Social Media
River Action UK, Nando’s Campaign
Big Impact Award
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Surf Smart
Brand Development
Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, Brand Refresh
Breakthrough of the Year
Hair & Care, Making Fashion Accessible for Blind and Low Vision People
Celebrity Charity Champion
Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford, War Child UK
Charity Chair of the Year
Sharon Green, The Leanne Pero Foundation
Charity Chief Executive
Catherine Mole, Dingley’s Promise
Charity Partnership of the Year
Debt Free Advice and Toynbee Hall, Free Legal Advice Centre
Communications Agency of the Year
Kindred, Purpose-driven PR
Communications Campaign of the Year
Royal National Institute for Deaf People, It Does Matter
Communications Team of the Year
Pancreatic Cancer UK, Engagement, Marketing & Communications
Digital Innovation of the Year
The Holocaust Educational Trust, Testimony 360: People and Places of the Holocaust
Financial or Procurement Excellence of the Year
Stewardship UKET, Multiplying Charitable Impact
Frontline Team of the Year
War Child UK, Gaza Emergency Response Team
Fundraising Campaign
Dogs Trust and Good Agency, Dogs Trust Happy Place
Fundraising Team of the Year
Hospice UK, Income Generation Team
Large Charity of the Year
North Devon Hospice
Large Corporate Partnership of the Year
Plan International UK and AstraZeneca, Young Health Programme
Marketing Campaign of the Year
Cornwall Air Ambulance, Sing it Home
Medium Charity of the Year
The Bread and Butter Thing
Medium Corporate Partnership of the Year
Magic Breakfast and Dishoom, A Meal for a Meal
Rising Chief Executive
Abbas Najib, Better Communities Bradford
Rising Star
Wes Cunliffe, Calan DVS
Small Charity Big Achiever
Action Through Enterprise, Ambition and Hope in Rural Ghana
Small Charity of the Year
Veterans With Dogs
Small Corporate Partnership of the Year
Digit<all> and Amazon Future Engineer, Coding for Climate Action
Unsung Hero
Janet Linley, Child Action Northwest
Volunteer of the Year
Daniel Merritt, The Talent Foundry
Volunteer Team of the Year
StreetDoctors, Young Healthcare Volunteers