Thanet Community Champions Awards 2025 – Celebrating the heart of our community

Representatives from Thanet’s voluntary, community and social enterprise groups got together on Wednesday 12 March 2025 at the Thanet Community Champions Awards.

Hosted by Thanet District Council in partnership with Social Enterprise Kent, the awards honoured the individuals and organisations making a real difference in their communities. 

In all, 33 winners were each awarded a framed certificate at the ceremony at The Pavilion in Broadstairs. Nine winners were recognised as overall champions in their category and received an engraved Community Champions award. The overall winner, STAKlife CIC, won the highest accolade, Champion of Champions. 

Local people were invited to submit nominations for their Community Champions in October 2024. A total of 157 nominations were received, with the winning entries selected by a panel including the Mayors of Margate and Broadstairs, Thanet District Council Cabinet member for Regeneration and Property, Cllr Ruth Duckworth and CEO of Social Enterprise Kent, Rebecca Smith.

The full list of award winners is available on the council’s website.

Cllr Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property at Thanet District Council, said: “It was a real pleasure to attend the Thanet Community Champions Awards for 2025, and to hear first-hand about the great work that’s going on across the district. There was such a diverse range of projects, all of which are making a positive impact in our communities.

“The awards celebrated the dedication, passion, and resilience shown by the people who give their time to improve lives across the district. These awards not only recognised outstanding contributions from groups and individuals but will also, I hope, encourage other people to get involved.”

Rebecca Smith, CEO of Social Enterprise Kent, added: “It has been an honour to facilitate these awards and celebrate the incredible efforts of Thanet’s voluntary sector. The energy and commitment in the room was truly powerful. Seeing so many inspirational individuals and organisations being recognised for their work was a privilege, and we are incredibly proud to support and celebrate them. These champions are the backbone of our community, and we hope their stories inspire even more people to get involved.”

Local VCSE organisations were also invited to take part in a sector-specific conference on Wednesday 12 March. Representatives from over 70 organisations attended, and heard updates on Thanet’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, presentations from community projects and to network. 

Further information on Thanet’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund is available on the council’s website.