There is something encouraging about community awards when they recognise the quiet, practical work that helps people feel they belong.
At the North Yorkshire Community Awards on 16 October 2026, organisations supporting children and young people with additional needs were among those receiving top honours. Across the three categories, the winners showed that community is not an abstract idea. It is built through accessible spaces, shared activities and people who consistently make time for others.
Making inclusion real
Ryedale Special Families won the inclusive communities category. The organisation supports families of children and young people with disabilities, additional needs and complex medical conditions. Its accessible centre in Pickering includes sensory spaces, educational resources and community facilities designed to remove some of the barriers families can encounter.
The wellbeing and community connection award went to SENDure CIC, a volunteer-led organisation working across Whitby and the surrounding area. Its activities include arts and crafts, sport and opportunities for parents and carers to spend time together. The important thread running through this work is not simply activity for activity’s sake. It is the creation of places where children and families can participate without feeling labelled or left at the edges.
The value of staying involved
Graham and Gwen Cleverly received the commitment to the community award. Since moving to Austwick in 2012, they have supported projects ranging from rural broadband and renewable energy to village events, local history and help for Ukrainian refugees.
There were 66 nominations across the awards, which offers a useful glimpse of how much generous work is happening across North Yorkshire. The winners each received £1,000 for their project, group or chosen local charity, while two runners-up in each category received £250.
Compassion is practical
In my introduction to Compassion Focussed Therapy, I describe how kindness, warmth and connection can help us feel safer, calmer and more able to learn and respond flexibly. These award winners offer a community-level version of the same principle. They have noticed where people face barriers or isolation and then done something practical to reduce it.
That does not mean one person has to solve everything. Compassion can begin with a smaller question: what is making participation difficult here, and what is within our power to change? Sometimes the answer is an accessible room, a regular activity, a lift, a welcoming conversation or simply continuing to show up.
Congratulations to the winners, runners-up and everyone nominated. Their work is a welcome reminder that belonging is often created through ordinary actions, repeated with care.