Sandwell children’s charity named best in the UK
A charity bringing vital help for families and across Sandwell has been named as the best children’s activities provider in the country.
On accepting the award, 4 Community Trust CEO Jo Haydon said she is most proud of the fact that they are set to move to a community centre in Hurst Road, Smethwick, which is the road she grew up on and where her dad was born.
Jo was inspired to launch and run 4 Community Trust by the deprivation she faced in her early years and wants to enable children in Sandwell to raise their aspirations.
She said: “It’s great to finally be recognised for the work that we do in Sandwell, we have constantly been runner up, and to finally receive recognition for our service delivery means we are doing the right thing.
The awards by Club Hub, an online directory of childcare and activities, are the only national awards for children’s activity providers with entry by application form only, and no voting.
The awards are independently judged by a panel of expert judges, winners are selected based on their commitment to excellence, innovation and growth of their business, demonstrated through their business performance, achievements, brand values and passion for what they do.
The awards are offered across 15 categories. 75 finalists were shortlisted from 340 applications, representing 196 Club Hub member businesses. The standard of applications was very high and represented a diverse range of kids activities, clubs and related businesses.
Entries for ‘Top 100 Children’s Activity Providers’ were assessed by expert judges, focussing on five key areas: activity benefits, safeguarding, inclusivity, community impact and business achievements. Each question was marked 1-20, giving a total overall score out of 100.
Club Hub is an app and website for parents that helps them quickly and easily find local clubs and activities for their children clubhubuk.co.uk with more than a million users and 100,000 bookings or messages for children’s activity providers a year.
Tessa Day, Founder and Director of Club Hub UK said: “Huge Congratulations 4 Community Trust. It was amazing to present their award and celebrate all their achievements. I very much look forward to following their flourishing journey for years to come”.
“I was thrilled to meet our first ever ‘Top 100 Children’s Activity Providers. This is a huge celebration of our industry, showcasing the very best in the UK. Every business owner on this list goes above and beyond to inspire, education and support children and families local to them. I am excited to share a new Top 100 list every year from now on”.
