Warm Welcome Awards – shortlist announced

The shortlist for the first-ever Warm Welcome Awards has been announced today. Congratulations to the Warm Welcome Spaces, volunteers, and individuals who have made the final shortlist!

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The awards celebrate Warm Welcome Spaces right across the country and the thousands of space leaders and volunteers who keep their doors open.

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Warm Welcome Awards finalists will be invited to an exclusive, free, VIP experience at the Awards Ceremony taking place at the state-of-the-art Sky HQ in Osterley on 17 June 2026. The Awards Ceremony is generously hosted by our partner Sky. The event is all about saying thank you and celebrating the hope, kindness, and vibrancy that Warm Welcome Spaces bring to people’s lives every day.

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Heartfelt thanks for our Warm Welcome Awards judges, who made the tough decision on the lucky finalists. 

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There are six categories of Warm Welcome Awards.

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Shortlisted are:

For the Warmest Welcome Award, which celebrates creativity, culture and the spirit of a warmest welcome, the shortlisted spaces are:

• St Andrew’s Church Friendship Café, Alford, Scotland
• Emmanuel Moor Row, Cumbria
• Manna House, The Stephenson Centre, Kendal, Cumbria
• Bee Creatives, Bee Friends, Frodsham, Cheshire 

For the Unsung Hero Award, which recognises everyday volunteering heroes who make extraordinary things happen, the shortlisted people are:

• Dave Berry, Swansea MAD
• Pat Hirst, Methodist Church, Shipley, West Yorkshire
• The Founder of Hope Hut in Nottingham
• Ravinder Taggar, GOAL!, Birmingham

For the Bright Ideas Award, which celebrates innovation and new ideas that inspire others, the shortlisted spaces are:

• Cornerstone, Benwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• Tech Talk and Toast at the Old Fire Station, Leeds
• The Owen Project CIC, Stoke-on-Trent
• Sutton Methodist, Hull

For the Unlikely Friendship Award, which recognises the connections that bridge divides and bring people together, the shortlisted people and spaces are:

• Michael Layton and Robert Reddon, Cosy Café, Manchester
• Lillian Walker, Nettlesworth Community Centre, Nettlesworth, Chester-le-Street
• Mickley Warm and Welcome Space,  Alfreton, Derbyshire 
• St Mary’s Church, East Molesey, Surrey

For the Community Connector Award which celebrates partnerships that amplify impact and strengthen communities, the shortlisted spaces are:

• The Hive, Bath
• Britwell Hub, Slough, Berkshire
• Les Wilson, Ely Library, Cambridgeshire
• Warmwell at Westbank and Community Health and Care, Exeter, Devon 

For our flagship award, The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown Chain of Hope Award, which celebrates transformational leadership and lasting change, the shortlisted spaces are:

• Holy Trinity, Warrington
• Gal Baat, Gillingham, Kent
• Birmingham Says No
• Train Youth Club, Didcot

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Warm Welcome Campaign director David Barclay said: “We are so thrilled to announce the shortlist for the inaugural Warm Welcome Awards. It’s been a privilege to read every nomination, hear your inspirational stories, and see the impact you make to communities. There’s so much to celebrate. 

“Behind the doors of every Warm Welcome Space are real people and real stories of lives touched by kindness and compassion. We want to recognise every nominated space and applaud you for the life-changing work you deliver every day. That’s why choosing a shortlist has been so challenging. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for our judges, and we thank them for their dedication and making such a tough call on the final shortlist. We look forward to celebrating spaces and the people that make them in June.” 

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