Blackburn based community group IMO has been honoured for its efforts in delivering youth, welfare or community services in the North of England.

IMO provides opportunities for disadvantaged communities by delivering projects for both young people and adults and have been named as one of the recipients of The Weston Charity Awards.

The awards are designed to honour groups that support people facing higher costs on low income or work in the context of social exclusion or disability.

It will now give IMO Charity the chance to invest in their future with ten months of planning support from a dedicated team of business experts, thanks to charity Pilotlight and a core grant of £6,500 from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

Stephen Jones, Chief Executive of IMO Charity, said: “IMO are very proud and honoured to have received this award from the Weston Charity Awards.

"IMO are dedicated to meet the needs of the community in Blackburn with Darwen and beyond, we are excited to improve our services with the help of the business experts Pilotlight.”

IMO Chairman Qamar Khan said: “We are over the moon to have been selected as one of the charities to receive support from Pilotlight and the Garfield Weston Foundation.

“It has been an incredibly difficult time over the last few years with the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis, and our truly outstanding staff and trustee’s work hard to support the people of Blackburn with Darwen and beyond.

“We could not do what we do without generous grant funding and support from those with expertise, and we are very grateful to the Weston Charity Awards for seeing the value of our work.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Recipients of the The Weston Charity Awards

Philippa Charles, Director of the Garfield Weston Foundation, said: “The Weston Charity Awards were created in 2014, and have since helped 126 charities across Wales, the North and the Midlands to be effective and to grow their services for people in need.

“As the cost of living crisis hits families and communities, we see a critical role for small charities in key regions who are supporting vulnerable people in a range of ways.

"These Awards for nineteen charities are a tribute to their determination to improve lives in the toughest of circumstances.”

Ed Mayo, Chief Executive of Pilotlight said: “An old saying is that the poor pay more. So, while the rising cost of living is a crisis for many people, it is a potential catastrophe for those who are most vulnerable.

“Working with business experts, the Weston Charity Awards will strengthen the charities that support people who are most at need in our society.”