A HUGE thank you to all the amazing charities who took part in this years charity photo competition. We had some beautiful entries, it really was the hardest job trying to whittle them down. We’re so grateful to Joanne Goodwin (Editor of Cheshire Life Magazine) who had the tricky job of picking the winners.
The 2024 Charity Photo Competition Winners are…
1st place – Amasing
The winning image was submitted by AmaSing, and shows the joy and friendship found through singing together, something this charity brings to thousands of children in the region and further afield. The competition judges were “instantly transported back to those childhood friendships that meant the world” said Amy Platt, Marketing and Communications Manager at Cheshire Community Foundation.
The children pictured are at their first ever “Aspire” stadium show at Chester FC in July 2023 which brought 1500 children together from 50 Cheshire primary schools to sing and perform to their families with a live professional band and dancers. This was the first of its kind at the stadium and the biggest children’s concert in Cheshire.
Rachel Borman of AmaSing said “During the project children came together in our inclusive workshops which were all led by professional musicians and creative artists and created new songs and dances about aspirations, believing in yourselves, not giving up and going for your dreams. The pieces they created were learnt and sung by over 8000 children in our workshops and online singing sessions and performed by 4000 children in all our big celebratory Aspire shows. During this project we worked with children ages 4-16 in all different types of schools bringing young people from all walks of life together to collaborate and create new arts supporting their mental health, creativity, confidence and team building.”
2nd place – Creating Adventures
Second place went to Creating Adventures, a Warrington-based charity which brings laughter, stimulation and personal fulfilment to adults with autism and learning disabilities. Their activities act as therapy, providing opportunities to socialise, develop communication and life skills and discover their inner talents. Recent grants from the Community Foundation include a project targeted at over 50s with autism or learning disabilities, another was for running their art club, greatly enjoyed by their members. This photograph was taken during their Beautiful Noise choir rehearsal. Creating Adventures told us: “Ian and Peter are good friends and were sitting on the stage watching their friends rehearse, with their arms around each other. It captures the friendships at Creating Adventures.”
3rd place – St Helen’s Church
In third place was St Helen’s Church, Northwich, with a photograph depicting their regular Thursday Place of Welcome, a project funded by a Cheshire Community Foundation small grant. It’s an open drop-in for local people to have a hot drink and meet others, with a simple lunch made and served by volunteers. The session was started with the expectation of a modest 10 attendees. Word spread, and there were often over 40 or 50 local people arriving at the church, finding a warm welcome and an opportunity to make friends. Many attendees also offered to volunteer and a community grew. Loneliness and isolation continue to threaten the health of our communities, particularly older people, and it is groups like these which can provide a lifeline.
“It’s so inspiring to see the breadth of the Foundation’s work represented through these many and varied photos submitted for the competition. They really do bring joy to the viewer, and it makes me feel so proud of Cheshire and Warrington, and our vibrant and hardworking voluntary sector. The three winning charities had their own areas of expertise and specific issues they were addressing, but all three enabled friendships to bloom, as a wonderful by-product of their work. In terms of technology we’ve never been more connected, and yet we’re experiencing more isolation than ever, and as we know loneliness can be as bad for your health as a heavy smoking habit. These charities are having an incredible impact through their expertise but also through the lifeline social connections can bring. Most small charities just don’t have the resources to launch fundraising campaigns, so applying to us for a grant is one way they can continue their vital role in our community. But raising their profile through this photography competition is another one, and we’re so glad to spread the word about the wonderful and much-needed work they’re doing. I’ve only been with Cheshire Community Foundation a few months but I’ve already witnessed firsthand the incredible generosity of the people of Cheshire— from the selfless volunteers to the compassionate donors who work with us to support the issues they’re passionate about addressing. Cheshire Day is the perfect time for the wider community to witness this kindness as well. We take great pride in our beautiful county, understanding its complexities, including the often-hidden areas of deprivation, and acknowledging those who roll up their sleeves to lend a hand. There’s much here to be proud of.”