Finalists revealed for this year’s JustGiving Awards

21 inspiring finalists have been revealed for this year’s GoCardless JustGiving Awards.

The individuals and charities were selected from more than 13,000 nominations by a panel of judges including Radio DJ Rickie Haywood-Williams, Actress Angela Griffin, longstanding fundraiser, famous for wearing a charity shop outfit every day for one year, Caroline Jones and the general manager of JustGiving, Pascale Harvie.

The judges worked hard to shortlist the 21 finalists; three for each of the seven awards categories plus three for this year’s JustGiving Charity Of The Year. The nominations include:

Endurance Fundraiser of the Year

• Andrew Osborne, from Rutland, rowed 3,000 miles for 78 days alone and unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean in memory of his daughter, Amy who tragically passed away in her sleep aged 25. He raised more than £170,000 for Cardiac Risk in the Young which screens young adults for undiagnosed heart conditions.
• 54-year-old Gary McKee from Cleator Moor ran a marathon every single day last year, often before starting a full day of work, to raise well over £1m for Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.
• Lis Van Lynden cycled 5,000 miles around Great Britain’s coastline, unsupported and solo, last year. Diagnosed with MS in 2013 after losing feeling down her right side, Lis decided to take on a challenge that would push herself to the limits in the name of a good cause. She pedalled for a brighter future in MS research, raising over £9,500 for MS Trust.

Young Fundraiser of the Year (under 13)

• Five-year-old Seren Price from South Wales hiked over 500-miles to raise more than £7,300 for for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity – Birmingham Children’s Hospital provided her with specialist care when she was a baby. Seren has become the youngest girl to complete the UK’s highest peaks challenge in under 48 hours, climbing to a total elevation of over 3,000 metres.
• 12-year-old Harry Smith from Hertfordshire raised more than £20,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity, in memory of his sister, Emily, who he lost last year to an incurable brain tumor. The inspirational school boy swam a mile (64 lengths), climbed Scafell Pike – England’s highest mountain and cycled home from Addenbrookes Hospital, the journey he says his sister was never able to make.
• Nine‑year‑old adventurer Alba Stogden walked the entire coastline of England covering thousands of miles to raise £18,500 for several mental health charities because she knows first‑hand the impact of mental illness on loved ones, including her own dad.

Teen Fundraiser of the Year (13-19)

• 13-year-old Gabriel Clark from Kirkby Lonsdale has spent the last year crafting two wooden bowls to sell to raise more than £278,000 for Save the Children, an international, non-government operated organization which helps to improve the lives of children worldwide, after being moved by the war in the Ukraine.
• 14-year-old, Mariya Javed, has been using the JustGiving platform for multiple challenges for the past six years to raise £20,000 for research into arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and to fund child bereavement services. Mariya’s older brother, Ahmar, died from the rare condition, AVM, which caused him to develop a sudden bleed on the brain in 2017 when he was just 13-years-old.
• 13-year-old Shay O’Grady has taken on five triathlons over the last five years to raise £46,000 for Bluebell Wood, a children’s hospice which provides care and support to hundreds of children like his cousin Evie-Mae.

Community Hero of the Year

• 39-year-old Krista Sharp from Dorset took on the London Marathon last year to raise £5,000 for MYTIME Young Carers, a UK based charity which provides young carers across Dorset and the Isle of Wight, between the ages of 5-25, with support, friendship and opportunities.
• Teacher, Ryan Gardiner, from Goole, raised more than £30,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of his pupil Luke who lost his battle with osteosarcoma – a type of bone cancer. Ryan set up set up ‘A Shining Light’ charity which aims to educate and raise awareness of cancer in young people as well as working with them to improve their overall physical and mental health.
• Sarah McPherson from Hempnall in South Norfolk founded Miniature Donkeys for Wellbeing, “Minidonks”, in memory of her late mum, Pat. Minidonks is small social enterprise that takes miniature donkeys to visit people with life limiting conditions, special needs and mental health challenges.

Creative Fundraiser of the Year

• Army veteran Michael Stanley, known as Major Mick, rowed over 125 miles across lakes and rivers in Britain in his Union Jack suit and tie, and raised more than £10,000 for Children on the Edge – an organisation that works tirelessly to support Ukrainian children and families seeking refuge. He completed the challenge in his one-man tin boat, decorated in an array of British and Ukrainian flags, built from sheets of corrugated iron. Since 2020, the army veteran has rowed more than 350 miles in his one-man boat and has raised over £75,000 for various charities on JustGiving.
• Lois Wolffe, 57 from Gatehouse of Fleet, South West Scotland raised more than £800 for Alzheimer Scotland. After hearing the diagnosis that her mum had mixed dementia, Lois took up embroidery, an old hobby from her childhood, as part of her own self-care during what was a difficult time. She also wanted to do something to make a difference and support others going through what she, her mum and the rest of her family were experiencing.
• Former research scientist, Jule Harries, took part in her 100 Hat Challenge taking on 100 open water swims, wearing a different hat each time. Her challenge raised over £3,000 for two charities close to her heart – Alzheimer’s Research UK and Surrey Young Carers.

Celebrity Fundraiser of the Year

• Comedian, musician and Strictly legend, Bill Bailey set out to prove that true friendship knows no bounds when he embarked on an epic 100‑mile walk from Cornwall to Devon to honour his close friend and comedian, Sean Lock. Bill’s journey raised over £140,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
• In the aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire, musician, Marcus Mumford became a beacon of hope for the community by founding the Grenfell Foundation.
With a 2023 London Marathon medal as testament to his dedication to raising awareness and supporting survivors, his efforts raised over £19,000 and radiated light in the darkest of times.
• Radio 1 DJ, Adele Roberts became the fastest woman to run the London Marathon with a stoma bag earlier this year. Just months after battling bowel cancer, she crossed the line in an inspiring 3.5 hours. She raised over £15,000 for the Attitude Magazine Foundation, supporting LGBTQ+ causes and Bowel Cancer UK.

Charity of the Year

• Doddie Weir’s My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was chosen for its work in investing into research projects across the UK to find effective treatments for motor neuron disease (MND). The charity has had an incredibly poignant and important year, with its annual Doddie Aid fundraising event – a virtual mass-participation exercise event raising more than £2m.
• ShowerBox was selected for its work revolutionising hygiene for the streets and hidden homeless in London by creating free and secure shower space. The charity helps empower homeless people to maintain good personal hygiene, build confidence and stop the spread of disease. For the past five years, it has raised over £41,000 to fund “ShowerBox Saturdays”, where people leave with a renewed sense of humanity and self-esteem
• Oasis Children’s Centre in Surrey want to make sure no family faces the heartbreaking choice of ‘heat or eat’. In Elmbridge, Surrey, child poverty, rental, and house price inflation are at their highest and many are feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis. However, the success of its 2022 Christmas appeal meant that over 100 families could receive a fresh food hamper in time for Christmas Day

Outstanding Commitment

• John Adams, 79, from Droitwich Spa raised more than £24,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND), a condition he was diagnosed with himself six years ago. His most recent challenge was to complete seven miles in seven days on his scooter around the local area, collecting donations.
• Anthony Frobisher, 54 from Blackpole cycled 100 miles then walked the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) on May 14th last year to raise money for Acorn’s Children’s Hospice in Worcester, which provided respite care for his daughter, Milla when she was born prematurely in 2006.
• Richard Benson from Leeds was nominated for his dedication to undertaking a year of charity challenges. The 55-year-old is undertaking the feats in memory of his partner, Camille and her son, Ethan, who both tragically died by suicide a few months apart. All money raised from his challenges is going to PAPYRUS, a charity which supports young people at risk of suicide.

Special Recognition Award

• Ultra-athlete, campaigner and TV personality Josh Patterson completed his ‘Run for 1 Million’ challenge, which saw him run 76 marathons in 76 cities on consecutive days and raise more than £320,000 for Samaritans.

This is the eleventh year of the JustGiving Awards and the judges agreed that this year’s event will be an incredibly emotional yet truly inspiring evening.

Pascale Harvie, President and general manager at JustGiving said: “Our fundraisers and crowdfunders are amazing and whilst they don’t do what they do for praise and recognition, every single person and charity deserve it.”

“The ceremony is a magical evening but most importantly it’s a moment for us at JustGiving to thank, formally recognise and celebrate the individuals, groups and charities who have done extraordinary things in the interest of others.”

Members of the public now have the opportunity to vote for the fundraisers and charities they want to see crowned for their efforts via: https://page.justgiving.com/awardsvoting2023 – voting closes on 25th August 2023

Seven winners as well as JustGiving’s Charity of the Year will be announced at the ceremony which takes place at London’s Roundhouse on the evening of September 25th.

Winners will be presented with their official trophy by well-known faces from the world of celebrities and sport.

Pat Phelan, MD of UK & Ireland and Chief Customer Officer at GoCardless said: “We’re proud to recognise the finalists and everyone nominated for this year’s GoCardless JustGiving Awards. We’re also grateful to all of the donors who support them. By combining the energy and enthusiasm of charities like My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, Oasis Children’s Charity and Showerbox with the generosity of the nation, truly amazing things can happen.”