The Alzheimer’s Society has been named Large Charity of the Year at the Third Sector Awards 2024. 

The charity won the award after a year in which it provided direct support to almost 100,000 people living with dementia, broke its annual fundraising record and saw the release of the full results from a trial of the Alzheimer’s drug donanemab, which was based on research the charity funded 30 years ago. 

The food recycling charity FoodCycle was named Medium Charity of the Year while the young people’s mental health charity stem4 won in the small charity bracket.

Medical Aid for Palestinians was involved in two award wins, taking home Frontline Team of the Year on its own and being named Volunteer Team of the Year for its work with the International Rescue Committee. 

The winners were announced at a lunch event at the Royal Lancaster London hotel, hosted by the comedian Mark Watson.

Other victors included Caroline O’Connor of Migrant Help, who won the Charity Chief Executive Award, and Nathalie Richards of the education and training charity SEO London, who was named Rising Chief Executive. 

The singer Tony Christie won the Celebrity Charity Champion award for his work with the Utley Foundation. 

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices was named Fundraising Team of the Year, while Hospice UK won the Communications Team of the Year award. 

Debs Smith won the Unsung Hero award for her work with Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, while Dave Seal from Band of Builders was named Charity Chair of the Year. 

The charity insurer Ansvar was the headline sponsor of this year’s Third Sector Awards.

The full list of winners: 

Best Charity Film of the Year (Large) – CoppaFeel! x Black Women Rising, The Chest Checklist

Best Charity Film of the Year (Medium) – Leukaemia UK and 11 London, Thank You

Best Charity Film of the Year (Small) – Frontline19, Sicker than the Patients

Best Service Delivery – Toynbee Hall and Debt Free Advice, Video Advice Kiosks

Best Use of Social Media – Macmillan Cancer Support, We need to talk about sex

Big Impact – JDRF and Diabetes UK, Hybrid Closed Loop

Brand Development – Bite Back rebrand

Breakthrough of the Year – Good Faith Foundation, Warm Welcome Campaign

Celebrity Charity Champion – Tony Christie, The Utley Foundation

Charity Chief Executive of the Year – Caroline O’Connor, Migrant Help

Charity Chair of the Year – Dave Seal, Band of Builders

Charity Partnership of the Year – Missing People, Missing & Suicide Risk TextSafe

Communications Campaign of the Year – Wellbeing of Women, Just a Period

Communications Team of the Year – Hospice UK

Corporate Partnership of the Year (Large) – Ambitious about Autism, Brighter Futures for Autistic Young People

Corporate Partnership of the Year (Medium) – Building Heroes Vistry Group Skills Academies

Corporate Partnership of the Year (Small) – House of Books & Friends, and gunnercooke LLP

Digital Innovation of the Year – If Give and East Anglian Air Ambulance, EAAA Missions

Communications Agency of the Year – PMW

Frontline Team of the Year – Medical Aid for Palestinians’ Gaza team

Fundraising Campaign – Royal British Legion Industries, Great Tommy Sleep Out 2024

Fundraising Team of the Year – East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices

Large Charity of the Year – Alzheimer’s Society

Marketing Campaign of the Year – Cats Protection, JAA and lukecharles, Lifeline for Ava and Mr Biggles

Medium Charity of the Year – Foodcycle

Rising Chief Executive – Nathalie Richards, SEO London

Rising Star – Deepanshi Kaur Gulati, Rain On Me CIC

Small Charity of the Year – stem4

Small Charity, Big Achiever – Heartburn Cancer UK, Demanding Hope

Unsung Hero – Debs Smith, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice

Volunteer of the Year – Brian Harper, Lingen Davies Cancer Fund

Volunteer Team of the Year – Medical Aid for Palestinians’ and International Rescue Committee’s emergency medical teams