Tunstall Together CIC
Less than a year after it was launched, Tunstall Together CIC is already improving the town and the lives of its residents.
Successes include securing funding, opening an office, bringing volunteers on board and creating a safe and happy space for members of the community to spend time.
Founder Kyle Smallwood explained: “We started in September 2025 with zero pence in the bank. People have trusted in the vision. We moved into an office in January and had to find the first month’s rent. The landlords have taken a chance and believe in us.
“We’re all about action so we’ve been asking what the problems are, what’s on people’s minds and what we can do to really make a difference and put pride back into Tunstall.”
Kyle has secured National Lottery Awards for All funding which means Tunstall Together has a base for the next 18 months.
He has also brought on board 23 active members of all ages and backgrounds who support the group’s projects around Tunstall. Active volunteers include Dot Matthews and Sue Viggars.
The CIC now has a physical location, a website to connect people with support organisations and charities, a social hub and is out and about in the town staging events and improving whatever it can.
Recent projects have included wrapping children’s books and leaving them in the community for families to find.
There will be a day of action on August 26 and heritage talks and walks are being planned.
“I haven’t done it alone,” said Kyle. “I’ve listened to what the community and our members want. It’s easy to moan but this is all about connecting people.
“I’m just bursting with pride to see where we’re taking this and the people who are actively involved.
“One organisation can’t do everything but we’re reaching out to as many other organisations as we can.”
Tunstall Together CIC has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards.
Sarah Jones said: “Kyle set up Tunstall Together CIC to help to make Tunstall the town it used to be. Within its first year he has opened up an office with safe space, a social coffee shop and community hub and work is underway to renovate other areas of Tunstall. He’s worked tirelessly despite health issues to build Tunstall back up.”
Kyle added: “Tunstall has its problems but rather than being negative we’re coming up with positive solutions.”
Women of Justice Arise
Lived experience of arriving in the UK as an asylum seeker with a six-month-old baby led Deborah Jandles to start a charity to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
Women of Justice Arise, based in Stoke-on-Trent City Centre, works with refugees, asylum seekers, the homeless and members of ethnic minority communities.
It runs a culturally relevant food bank, a baby bank for pregnant women and mums, aims to upskill women into the workplace and offers a space for people to connect and for friendships to grow.
Deborah moved to the UK from Zimbabwe and now lives in Hanley. She works alongside two fellow trustees and has a team of around 30 volunteers.
She is also working with Stoke-on-Trent College to offer volunteer opportunities for students.
Deborah said: “I came to the UK as an asylum seeker. I wasn’t allowed to work so I volunteered at the Citizens Advice Bureau, where I heard about the problems that asylum seekers were facing.
“In particular I found that a lot of mothers were having problems so I set up a support group, which went on to become the charity Women of Justice Arise.
“We find that a lot of people feel depressed because they aren’t able to find a job. We’re trying to empower women. We find out what they’re good at and do whatever we can to upskill them.”
The work of Women of Justice Arise grew during the pandemic when it received grant funding to run a culturally relevant food bank. It’s currently applying for grant funding to continue the work carried out at its base at Old Hall Street, Hanley.
Women of Justice Arise has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards.
Deborah said: “I’m really amazed to have been nominated for a Your Heroes Award. I feel honoured. When you’re doing these things you’re thinking about the impact it’s having on people rather than receiving recognition for the work.”
6 Towns Radio
As a volunteer-run community radio station, 6 Towns Radio has grown from a passionate local project into a respected platform that informs, connects and celebrates communities across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the wider county.
The station has become a vital platform for charities, community groups, arts organisations and grassroots campaigns, helping them reach new audiences and raise awareness of the important work they do.
Whether promoting local support services, highlighting community projects or sharing stories that matter to local residents, 6 Towns Radio consistently demonstrates its commitment to social impact and community wellbeing.
The station provides opportunities for volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to develop valuable skills in broadcasting, media production, marketing, interviewing, event management and content creation. For many it can be a first step into employment, further education or a new career path. For others, it offers a chance to build confidence, make connections and become part of a supportive community.
Beyond the studio, 6 Towns Radio is deeply embedded within the communities it serves. Its volunteer team can regularly be found at events, festivals, charity fundraisers, community celebrations and cultural activities.
Through live broadcasts, interviews and coverage, the station shines a spotlight on local people, organisations and initiatives that might otherwise go unheard.
The organisation invests heavily in the next generation through workshops, training sessions and hands on experiences that introduce young people to broadcasting and media careers.
These opportunities provide practical skills, inspire ambition and help young people see pathways into industries that may otherwise feel inaccessible.
A particular strength of the station is its support for grassroots music and emerging talent. Through dedicated programming, live sessions, event partnerships and opportunities for local artists to perform and be interviewed, 6 Towns Radio has played a significant role in nurturing Staffordshire’s creative sector.
Many local musicians have received their first radio airplay or public exposure through the station, helping to build confidence, audiences and opportunities.
6 Towns Radio has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards by Charl Pearce, BID Manager at Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District.
She said: “6 Towns Radio is a truly community led organisation that embodies the spirit of Staffordshire. At the heart of 6 Towns Radio is its commitment to people. The station’s welcoming and inclusive approach ensures that anyone with an interest and enthusiasm can get involved, learn new skills and make a meaningful contribution.
“What makes 6 Towns Radio particularly deserving of recognition is that all of this is achieved through the dedication of volunteers who give their time to strengthen their communities. The station creates opportunities, develops skills, supports wellbeing, celebrates local culture and amplifies voices that deserve to be heard.
“Through its commitment to volunteering, education, inclusion and community engagement, 6 Towns Radio continues to make a lasting and measurable difference to people’s lives across Staffordshire, demonstrating exactly what it means to be a business at the heart of its community.”
Stoke-on-Trent College’s Youth Social Action Team
From creating a community garden to fundraising, members of Stoke-on-Trent College’s Youth Social Action Team represent exactly what it means to be an active part of the local community.
Their efforts to make a difference in Stoke-on-Trent have seen them take part in a variety of community-led activities.
Throughout the last academic year learners in the Youth Social Action Team have been raising money, raising awareness and offering support where it’s needed most.
An ongoing Healing Hearts project with Middleport Matters has made a big difference to Middleport and brought together learners from across Stoke-on-Trent College.
This saw learners placed throughout Middleport, transforming a local green space into a wellness garden and helping to make Middleport a safer and more welcoming place.
They have worked through all weathers to pick up litter, renovate structures, repaint features, tidy up spaces, pot plants and much more to make the garden a nicer place to be.
Along the way members of the Youth Social Action Team have developed their own confidence, built teamworking skills and worked on their personal mental health.
Alongside their work in Middleport, team members have undertaken a series of charitable endeavours, raising money and awareness for great causes.
In February they took part in the Big Sleep Out, staying overnight in the concourse at Stoke City’s bet365 Stadium raising more than £2,800 for the Macari Foundation.
Their focus on promoting positive mental health saw them bring therapy dogs to the college to help students destress.
They have raised money for Young Minds and have worked closely with local schools on projects.
Kaz Salt, Community Support Team Leader at Middleport Matters, said: “The six month project has made an absolutely incredible difference here at Middleport Community Garden. The project has been really important.
“It has brought together students from the colleg, and the local community. It has had a real impact on local residents and the students have been incredible. Their enthusiasm, passion, drive and determination, has been inspiring. I hope we get the opportunity to work with them again next year.”
Stoke-on-Trent College’s Youth Social Action Team has been nominated in the Community Group of the year category of the Your Heroes Awards.
From Longton and Proud CIC
What began as a desire to help others during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a volunteer-led organisation that continues to make a real difference to people across Longton every day.
When families were struggling, neighbours helped neighbours. Volunteers came together to provide support, share resources and ensure vulnerable residents did not feel alone. While many of those emergency efforts ended when the pandemic passed, the spirit behind them remained.
That spirit became From Longton and Proud CIC. Officially incorporated in March 2024, the organisation continues to operate without formal funding and is powered entirely by volunteers, donations and community support. Much of its activity is centred around Longton Exchange Shopping Centre.
At the heart of the organisation is The Little Longton Book Exchange, a welcoming community space where books are shared, friendships are formed and conversations begin.
For many visitors it is not simply a place to collect a book; it is somewhere they feel welcome, valued and connected.
The CIC also supports families through The Little Longton Uniform Exchange, which provides free school uniform to local families, provides Winter Warmers support during colder months, hosts weekly coffee mornings, community jigsaw tables and volunteer training opportunities and helps create spaces where people can come together, build confidence and tackle loneliness.
The organisation has also supported wider community projects including funding activities for Staffordshire Lobby Week and providing outdoor games used during Longton Exchange’s Fun Fridays, helping ensure local families can access free activities and experiences.
From Longton and Proud CIC has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards by Roz Ryan.
She said: “Some organisations are created through funding programmes, business plans and formal strategies. From Longton and Proud CIC was created through kindness. Every project is delivered because local people care deeply about their town and the people who live within it.
“What makes From Longton and Proud CIC truly remarkable is not the size of its budget or the scale of its organisation. It is the fact that it exists because people care.
“Every book donated, every volunteer hour given and every conversation shared reflects a community looking after its own. In a world where many people feel disconnected, From Longton and Proud CIC continues to prove that small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact.
“Through compassion, dedication and an unwavering belief in community, it has helped create a stronger, more connected and more hopeful Longton. That is why From Longton and Proud CIC deserves recognition as a true community hero.”
Trent Rowing Club
Trent Rowing Club has been part of the fabric of Burton-upon-Trent for more than 160 years but in the last six month, its small volunteer committee has gone above and beyond to secure the future of one of the town’s oldest sporting institutions.
With no previous large-scale fundraising experience, no major commercial backing and no paid staff, this passionate group of 10 volunteers achieved something extraordinary through sheer determination, creativity and community spirit.
For a volunteer-run club with around 30 active members, the scale of the achievement has been remarkable.
Their Ducks in a Row crowdfunding campaign captured the imagination of the entire town. What began as a hopeful fundraising idea to raise enough funding for a new boat shed, became one of Burton’s feel-good community events of the year, with more than 200 people attending the club’s first-ever duck race and 280 yellow and blue ducks racing down the River Trent. Throughout the event, the club’s junior rowers proudly demonstrated their skills on the water, showcasing the opportunities the club creates for young people in Burton.
The committee also brought together 21 local businesses to sponsor giant corporate ducks (firms such as Cosy Direct, Smith Partnership, Timms Solicitors and others) alongside smaller ducks sponsored by local individuals and families
The campaign attracted support from the Mayor of East Staffordshire, MP Jacob Collier and Olympic bronze medallist and heavyweight boxer Frazer Clarke and featured on ITV Central News.
The committee unlocked £15,000 Sport England match funding and raised £32,130 in four months towards the new boat shed and future development of the club.
Despite the success of the campaign rising construction costs mean further fundraising is still needed while the committee continues balancing club operations, coaching recruitment and supporting members at local competitions.
Many race attendees had never visited Trent Rowing Club before, introducing new audiences to the sport and helping break down perceptions that rowing is inaccessible or exclusive.
The campaign contributed to a 100% year-on-year increase in website visits and page views, while the dedicated duck race page became one of the club’s most visited and highly engaged areas of the website. Learn to Row enquiries increased by 350% following the campaign.
Alongside fundraising, the committee has continued supporting a thriving junior programme which is now producing regional and national success. Trent juniors have represented the East Midlands at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta, achieved medal success at national competitions and helped establish Trent as one of the UK’s top junior rowing clubs. For many young people, the club provides far more than sporting opportunity. It offers confidence, discipline, teamwork and a supportive community environment.
Trent Rowing Club has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards by Rachel Hayward.
She said: “The committee’s ultimate aim is to make rowing more accessible and affordable for people of all ages and backgrounds, creating opportunities for juniors, beginners and families while preserving an important part of Burton’s sporting heritage for future generations.
“What Trent Rowing Club’s committee achieved was about far more than raising money. They brought an entire community together to protect and grow one of Burton’s oldest sporting institutions, proving exactly what passionate volunteers can achieve when local people rally behind a shared cause.”
James Atkin, Chairman of Trent Rowing Club, said: “This has probably been the biggest year we have had for fundraising. We’re a small, volunteer-led club with busy lives outside of rowing so making the time is quite difficult. Getting recognition from outside the group is a nice feeling.”