The Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards shine a spotlight on worthy individuals and organisations | Markel

Why recognising the quiet, everyday work of the not-for-profit sector matters so much

On 21 March 2025, Markel published its round-up of the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards 2025, held a week earlier in Birmingham. According to the winners list in Care Management Matters, Apax, a supported housing social enterprise in Sydenham, South East London, won the Development and Innovation Award.

Markel's own page focuses on a handful of winners' stories rather than the full list, but its message speaks to everyone in the sector. It is about shining a light on people whose work too often goes unnoticed, and about why that recognition matters for the whole not-for-profit sector.

What Markel Shared

Markel's round-up described the awards as a way to shine a spotlight on worthy individuals and organisations making a difference every single day. The ceremony took place on Friday 14 March 2025 at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham.

Sally Lindsay, actress and ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society, hosted for the second year in a row. Markel, the awards' headline sponsor, noted that 2025 marked the 11th anniversary of the awards.

The page spoke of a commitment to making sure that people who look after others receive the recognition they deserve. It is a simple aim, and one that many people working in the sector will welcome, because so much of their work happens out of sight.

The People Behind the Work

Much of the most important work in the not-for-profit sector happens quietly. It takes place in community centres, supported housing, small offices and people's own homes, often far from any headline.

The people doing it rarely think of themselves as remarkable. They simply turn up, listen, solve problems and keep going on difficult days. Recognition can come as a surprise to them, and that is part of what makes it meaningful.

Awards cannot capture everything, but they can pause the routine long enough to say thank you. For many teams, that moment of being noticed is remembered long after the ceremony ends, and can sustain people through harder seasons.

Stories Worth Telling

Markel highlighted some of the winners' stories. Jill Davies of DHU Healthcare CIC, the Leadership winner, was praised for leading by example and for her compassion towards patients, families and colleagues.

The page also celebrated Alzheimer Cafe Isle of Wight at Parklands, the winner of the Dementia Care Award. In 2024 its team opened the Parklands Dementia Resource Centre, which Markel described as the first and only hub on the island where people can get support five days a week.

Edward Dean, chief executive of Anxious Minds, won the Making a Difference award. Markel noted that the charity supports over 150 individuals each week in the North East, including veterans, abuse survivors and young people.

Our Place Among the Winners

Apax does not appear on Markel's own page, but Care Management Matters' list of 2025 winners named Apax as the winner of the Development and Innovation Award. The same list showed Apax, VR Wellness, as a finalist in the Technology Award.

Seeing a small South East London organisation on the same list as so many committed people was humbling. You can read more about Apax winning the Markel 3rd Sector Award for Development and Innovation in our Awards section.

The real credit belongs to the residents and colleagues who were willing to try something new. Their openness, more than any trophy, is what has made the work worthwhile, and it is their story as much as ours.

Open to Everyone

One of the most encouraging lines on Markel's page concerned the 2026 awards. It said that anyone can enter themselves or nominate someone else, no matter what their position in an organisation.

That openness matters. Recognition should not depend on job title or seniority. Some of the most valuable contributions come from support workers, volunteers and coordinators whose names rarely appear in reports, yet whose kindness shapes people's days.

Awards that welcome entries from every level send a clear message: the person sitting with someone on a difficult afternoon is just as much a part of the sector's success as anyone else.

Why Recognition Matters

Markel described the awards as a great opportunity to acknowledge the innovation and resilience of people working within the sector, and to celebrate the positive impact they make on people's lives.

Recognition can lift morale, help organisations share what they have learned and encourage others to try new ideas. For small teams in particular, it can be a welcome reminder that their efforts are seen and valued.

It also helps the wider public understand the not-for-profit sector a little better. Every story shared is a chance to show how much difference steady, dedicated support can make in people's lives, in every corner of the country.

Entries for 2026

Markel said entries for the 2026 awards would open later in the year for anyone in the not-for-profit sector making a positive difference to people's lives. Each nomination is, in its own way, a small act of appreciation.

Our thanks go to Markel, to Care Management Matters and to everyone who helps these awards happen. Congratulations once more to every 2025 winner and finalist, and good luck to everyone who enters next year.

You can read the full round-up from Markel: Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards 2025.