The success of our ongoing work has been publicly recognised by a number of local and national awards. Listed below is evidence of our growing achievements. . .

Chris Catterall and Jane Davis with Steve Morgan

Britain’s New Radicals

Winner

Jane Davis was awarded the title of ‘New Radical’ by NESTA and The Observer in February 2012. They launched an open call to find Britain’s New Radicals: people creating radical new solutions to the challenges our society faces, whose vision is improving the lives of people and communities across the country. See the short film here.

Guardian Public Service Awards 2011

Runner Up

The Reader Organisation were one of two runners-up in the Partnership Working category for our Reader-in-Residence partnership scheme with Mersey Care NHS Trust, Mersey Care Reads.

Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards 2011

Shortlisted

Jane Davis and Niall Gibney were shortlisted in the Against All Odds Category as part of the Morgan Foundation’s Entrepreneur Awards 2011. The final prize was given to Families for Justice  a support charity for people who have suffered bereavement through  violence) but we were very proud that Jane and Niall had been shortlisted.

Lemos&Crane RISE Awards 2011

Runner Up

The RISE Awards are presented by Lemos&Crane for excellence in improving the quality of life and wellbeing of mental health service users who receive support in the community.

Entries were received from over 80 groups and organisations delivering services in the community that generated positive outcomes in one or more of three areas: developing positive personal identity and self-esteem; developing and sustaining relationships; promoting positive life satisfaction.

The Reader Organisation’s Get Into Reading project is among a total of 5 runners up.

Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards 2010

Winner – Best Entrepreneurial Charity or Social Enterprise in Liverpool

The Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards were established in 2007 and are designed to encourage entrepreneurship in the North West and North Wales – whether in new businesses, young entrepreneurs, social enterprises or charities.

The Reader Organisation were the overall winners, receiving a prize of £10,000.

“This charity is dedicated to bringing about a reading revolution. It promotes shared reading as a rehabilitative tool to build community and improve personal mental wellbeing. Beneficiaries include: people suffering deprivation, children in care, young people not in formal education, people with physical or mental health problems and they also work extensively with older people. The charity’s sheer professionalism and innovative way of developing literacy skills united the judges.”

Liverpool ECHO Pride of Merseyside Awards 2010

Winner – Education Award for Get Into Reading

Organised by the Liverpool Echo, the Awards honour the men, women and children who do Merseyside proud. Our Get Into Reading project won the Education Award, for offering our weekly read aloud sessions to people in hospitals, prisons, schools, libraries and mental health settings – demonstrating how education reaches far beyond the classroom.

“For offering reading sessions to hospitals, prisons, schools, libraries and mental health places.”

Quentin Blake Award 2008

Winner

The Quentin Blake Award is made annually to a charity supported by the Foundation in the previous calendar year. The Award is made to an organisation selected by Quentin Blake himself, which he feels has special merit and would benefit from additional support for a new project.

In 2008 the £2,000 award was given to The Reader Organisation to deliver the summer youth project Art In The Park. This project aimed to deliver a 5-week summer holiday project that would target Looked After Children (LAC) between the ages of 12 and 16 living in Wirral, who had little, if any, access to rewarding and creative activities in their locality. The group took part in a variety of workshops, based in Birkenhead Park, that were designed to encourage the young people to develop a real passion for reading and to engage with the Arts.

Quotes from participants of Art In The Park:

“I’ve loved our summer project. The best bit was the photography because we were working with professionals, and being outside instead of in.”

“I didn’t think I was going to like art this much, and it was great to see all the art galleries and theatres in Liverpool because I’ve never been before.”

“I would have been sat at home every day if it wasn’t for Art in the Park.”

NHS Centre for Involvement Award 2008

Nominated

The Reader Organisation’s Get Into Reading Mersey Care NHS Trust “Reader-in-Residence” project was short-listed for providing….

Art ‘08 Inside, Outside and Online Award

Finalist

TRO was a finalist in The Arts Council England, North West’s fifth annual art awards, for its unique and innovative outreach work in the community.

The Inside, Outside and Online category recognises people and organisations offering experiences of art in new and different environments.

Reading Heroes (National Year of Reading – 2008)

Winners

TRO’s director Jane Davis and Wirral Community Shakespeare member Louise Jones were announced as winners in the Professional and Personal categories of the National Year of Reading’s 2008 awards.

The National Year of Reading wanted to acknowledge and celebrate twenty-five Reading Heroes whose personal effort to support reading has made a difference to others, or whose acquisition of reading skills in challenging circumstances has transformed their own lives, or that of another. Jane and Louise were two of twenty-five people who headed to No. 10 Downing Street in February 2009 to meet with Sarah Brown and receive their Reading Hero medals.

NHS Health and Social Care Awards 2007

Short-listed

With more than two-thousand applicants from around the country, GIR made it to the top four in the Mental Health category – a huge achievement.