A Grand Day Out, Age UK Gloucestershire
As well as being a local charity that supports almost 5,000 older people, Age UK Gloucestershire's community initiative 'A Grand Day Out', in partnership with Stagecoach West, saw a group of supporters travel by bus using their concessionary travel cards to explore the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham. The day included a behind the scenes tour, followed by lunch and an afternoon theatre performance. As well as unlocking £1.3million+ in benefits for older people in Gloucestershire, specific initiatives like these enable older people in the local community to engage socially and participate in new activities.
Children Lead The Way CIC
Children Lead The Way CIC is described as offering profound, life-changing impacts on children and families who are at risk of being lost from education and community life. It includes an outdoor recovery centre and forest school which has welcomed over 100 families across Gloucestershire, supporting children who have had repeated breakdowns in mainstream and specialist settings because of distress, anxiety, trauma, bullying and exclusion. Offering time, trust and a child-led approach, children begin to feel that they belong and parents consistently describe seeing changes that had previously felt impossible.
Community Rugby Programme, Gloucester Rugby
Beyond success on the pitch, Gloucester Rugby plays a vital role in the local community. The Club uses the power of sport to inspire positive change, delivering programmes, camps, matchday experiences and more across the region. It works with schools, grassroots clubs and community groups across Gloucestershire to promote healthy lifestyles, build confidence and develop life skills in young people.. Over the past 12 months, an external report showed that 3,944 unique participants were engaged, with an overall social value £5,972,600, a truly staggering number and testament to the relatively small but impactful community team.
Creativity for Wellbeing, SGS College
The SGS College Wellbeing for Creativity programme is helping people across Gloucestershire feel more confident, connected and supported through accessible creative learning. It offers a safe, welcoming space where participants can use creativity to boost their mental health, reduce isolation and rebuild self-belief. The course welcomes people from all backgrounds, especially those who may not feel comfortable in traditional education settings. By blending practical creative skills with wellbeing support, it helps learners find purpose and connection. The impact goes beyond the classroom, strengthening community ties and supporting wider local health and wellbeing goals.
Everyman Theatre
The Everyman Theatre believes creative arts change lives. As a registered charity, it reinvests operating profits to expand outreach and widen access to culture. Its work spans a thriving youth theatre, artist development, student partnerships with Stagedoor Learning and the University of Gloucestershire, and a broad community arts programme with bursaries ensuring cost is never a barrier. More than 11,000 pantomime tickets have been heavily subsidised, and sanctuary seekers have been supported through work with Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees. Plus, a new community and education centre is opening in summer 2026, to further strengthen its impact across Gloucestershire.
Gardening for Wellbeing Group, Gloucester Cathedral
Gardening for Well-being at Gloucester Cathedral supports adults aged 18 to 74 who are facing challenges such as disability or mental health difficulties. Using gardening as a gentle, hands-on activity, the group helps people build confidence, boost wellbeing and reconnect with others. It offers a calm, welcoming space where those with additional support needs can learn new skills and spend time in nature without pressure. The sessions reduce isolation and help people feel part of a community again. It’s a simple but powerful example of how green space, learning and compassion can genuinely change lives.
Gloucestershire Carers Hub
Gloucestershire Carers Hub helps make everyday life more manageable for unpaid carers, many of whom juggle complex responsibilities with little recognition. Its support is flexible and responsive, allowing carers to dip in and out as their circumstances change. This can include information and advice, wellbeing support, financial guidance, peer connection and training. Carers can access help by phone, email, online, at drop-ins or through community outreach. A real strength is trust, with many staff and volunteers bringing lived experience of caring, creating safe, understanding conversations where people feel listened to, supported and never judged.
John Lewis, Community Matters
Since it opened its doors in 2018, the Community Matters programme at Cheltenham's John Lewis branch has donated more than £100,000 to local charities, including Home Start, The Chamwell Centre, The Everyman Theatre, Gloucestershire Young Carers, Acorns Childrens Hospice and many many more. Products have been donated to many more organisations, for furnishing their community spaces or to help with fundraising through raffles and competitions. Plus, every week the store hosts a 'Grief Kind Space' in its Place to Eat restaurant.
KW Bell Group, Cinderford RFC
KW Bell Group is a family business for whom community is vitally important, demonstrated by Peter Bell who has generously invested £1.3 million into Cinderford RFC. This funding has been described as a 'game-changer' for club. It’s not just about rugby, it’s about transforming Cinderford RFC into a vibrant hub for the whole community. The improvements that will make the facilities more accessible and welcoming for everyone, whether you're a player, a supporter or just someone looking for a place to connect with others. With Peter’s support, the club is looking forward to enhanced facilities that will cater to a variety of events and activities, making it a true community asset.
Moon and Made
Moon and Made is an independent creative wellbeing business rooted in Gloucestershire, built around showing up for people with consistency and compassion. Founded by a local mother and creative practitioner, it delivers workshops, events and retreats in accessible spaces including libraries, colleges and community venues. The focus is on reducing isolation, supporting mental health and creating safe spaces for women, particularly those experiencing postnatal depression, anxiety or grief. Working closely with charities such as Shine PND and Holding Hearts, Moon and Made blends volunteering, fundraising and long-term partnerships to build connection, strengthen local support networks and make a meaningful difference.
North & West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice and Stroud and Cotswolds District Citizens Advice
North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice and Stroud and Cotswolds Districts Citizens Advice have teamed up to launch Advice First Aid, building a stronger and fairer advice network across the county. The project recognises that not everyone can get help online or by phone. Instead, it trains trusted local organisations to offer practical guidance within their own communities. Frontline staff and volunteers learn how to spot problems early, give initial support and refer people to specialist services when needed. This means people can get help sooner, prevent issues escalating and access the right support more quickly in a crisis.
Pride in Gloucestershire
Pride in Gloucestershire stands as a beacon of celebration and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community across the county. Through events like its annual Pride celebration, it strives to connect, uplift and inspire. Its mission is to combat homophobia, biphobia and transphobia while pushing for continual progress, acceptance and inclusivity. In 2025, five Pride events were ran across the county in Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Forest of Dean, Cirencester and Tewkesbury. This allowed more engagement with the LGBTQ+ community and allies from more rural parts of the county, giving everyone the opportunity to be themselves and feel seen and validated in their existence.
Roam & Wonder Foundation CIC
The Roam & Wonder Foundation CIC is a social enterprise bringing people together through nature and community. It runs free or low-cost guided walks across Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, creating inclusive, welcoming spaces where people can connect, unwind and improve wellbeing. What sets it apart is a focus on accessibility and community: walks are judgement-free, safe and open to all. By providing opportunities to meet others, enjoy nature, and be active, it helps combat loneliness and boost mental and physical wellbeing, supporting healthier, happier communities, one step at a time. The community has grown to over 850 members, with 440 participants now joining walks.
Stroud Valleys Project
Stroud Valleys Project has worked with communities across the Stroud District for more than 35 years, improving local spaces for people and wildlife. As natural abundance declines and disconnection from nature grows, it helps people reconnect with and contribute to thriving urban and rural multi-species communities. Supported by around 120 active volunteers, it engages approximately 1,000 people each year, from pre-schoolers upwards. In the past 12 months alone, it has enhanced biodiversity across 60 acres of green space, planted 19,139 trees and delivered 66 education and engagement events for more than 1,105 people.
Tesco Quedgeley Knit & Natter Group
For nearly 10 years, the Knit and Natter Group has brought together 40 knitters every Monday morning for friendship, purpose and plenty of chat. Their handmade creations support hospitals, charities and local causes – from baby hats for maternity units and angel gowns for stillborn babies to twiddle muffs for dementia patients, poppies for the Poppy Appeal and warm clothing for people experiencing homelessness. They have raised thousands for charities including Cancer Research UK, Macmillan and local organisations, donating an incredible £18,000 in the past year alone. A standout moment was creating Cedrick the knitted lion for Lions at Large, volunteering almost 70 hours and raising £3,500 at auction.
The Forest Green Community Cafe
Forest Green Community Café and Food Project welcomes everyone of all ages for hot drinks, breakfast, cakes, crafts and conversation. Its pay-as-you-feel café and open-access food pantry offer no-questions-asked support. Powered by volunteers, community grants and donations, it provides warmth, dignity and connection for local people, from 6 months to 86 years old. As the only community space in the Forest Green area of Nailsworth, the café is described as a vital lifeline.
The Kimbrose Club, Gloucester Charities Trust
Run by Gloucester Charities Trust, The Kimbrose Club delivers practical programmes that support older people across the city. It serves as a welcoming hub for those who may feel isolated, offering connection, companionship and purpose. Members are valued as individuals, encouraged to share experiences, build friendships and take part in inclusive activities. From music and movement to reminiscence sessions, creative workshops and shared meals, everything is designed to foster belonging. Kimbrose has a particularly strong impact for people living with dementia, providing a safe, understanding environment where they can engage confidently and at their own pace.
The Potthouse Collective CIC
The Potthouse Collective CIC creates a safe, welcoming and creative space in the heart of Cheltenham. Founded just over two years ago, it has enabled more than 2,000 people to experience the mindful, hands-on joy of working with clay. With over 100 resident studio holders, it has grown into a supportive, open community of makers. Alongside professional facilities and courses, it hosts social events, throwdown evenings and 'pug and pub' nights.
The Venture Community Hub
The Venture is a community-led charity transforming lives across Gloucester. For 42 years, it has provided free, inclusive play, youth services and family support, creating a trusted space where children thrive and communities grow stronger. With more than 1.5 million play visits and multi-generational engagement, it is far more than a playground – it is a catalyst for resilience, connection and belonging. Leading Gloucester’s citywide Holiday Activities and Food programme and delivering universal youth services, The Venture combines deep-rooted community trust with strategic leadership, strengthening neighbourhoods and creating lasting impact across the city.
VE Day Celebrations at Kings Square Gloucester
Over the past year, Kings Square has been central to Gloucester’s regeneration, with the successful launch of King’s Quarter, The Forum and new City Campus boosting footfall and strengthening links between education, business and community. Specifically, Kings Square has delivered a vibrant programme of free events, including standout VE Day 2025 celebrations that brought all ages together in remembrance and pride. Blending economic growth with inclusive community engagement, Kings Square has evolved into a thriving civic heart for the city centre.
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Community Programme
Westonbirt’s Community Programme, delivered through Forestry England’s National Arboretum, removes barriers preventing local people from accessing nature. While the arboretum attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, many nearby communities remain underserved. Led by one staff member and 27 trained volunteers, the programme supports more than 1,000 participants each year from overlooked and marginalised groups. Activities take place onsite and through outreach, offering woodland skills, mindfulness, nature discovery, creative projects and campfire cooking. Sessions are based at a purpose-built Community Shelter – a safe, calming space designed to nurture wellbeing, confidence and meaningful connection through shared outdoor experiences.
YMCA Cheltenham
In its 170th anniversary year, YMCA Cheltenham shows just how powerful its community model has become. From one small room, it has grown into a joined-up network of housing, family support, sport and food provision that helps people move from crisis to independence. Last year it supported 7,064 people, housed 149 families including 278 children and provided 98,644 nights of safe accommodation. Its Child Contact Centre reunited 1,140 family members, Feed Cheltenham helped 200 households and the Sports Centre welcomed 38,200 visits. For 170 years, YMCA Cheltenham has been a place of safety, support and real hope.
Visit soglos.com/lifestyle-community-awards to cast your vote in this year's awards.
