The Charity Awards is the pre-eminent awards programme for the UK's voluntary sector. They recognise exceptional performance in the leadership and management of charities, helping to spread best practice and draw attention to the breadth of talent, commitment and expertise that exists within UK charities.
Cerebra was nominated for the Charity Awards 2006 in recognition of its rapid regeneration since its re-formation in 2001. Having replaced a failing predecessor charity a complete overhaul was required. It was felt there could be a future under new governance and good management. A new chief executive was appointed in 2001, along with some new staff to supplement the remainder of the old. ‘The charity needed to be resurrected; it needed a rescue mission in order to return to its former glory,’ says chief executive Chris Jones.
The improvement has been marked. ‘In financial terms we have gone from an income of just over £1 million four years ago to nearly £4 million today,’
The judges thought that the new management at Cerebra were ‘strong on leadership, strategy and staff development’ and ‘clearly well managed’.
Cerebra was recognised by the judging panel and received a “Highly Commended” award in June 2006. Just to have been nominated as a Charity of the Year was beyond expectation in such a short space of time since the charity’s formation. To have been commended in this way was almost the stuff of dreams!
-- Chris Jones, CEO
