The Catalyst Conference and Awards is a highlight of the year for those involved in the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in Stockton-on-Tees.
The Catalyst Conference and Awards provide the perfect opportunity for our sector to come together to network and meet other VCSE organisations, and to celebrate the success of the sector in the Borough for the outstanding work they have carried out in the previous year.
In 2026 we hosted our Conference & Awards at The Oakwood Centre and had nearly 200 VCSE, public, and private sector representatives attend across the day to network and celebrate the amazing work being done in Stockton-on-Tees.
We started the day hearing from Carolyn Nice, Director of Adults, Health & Wellbeing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, around Powering Our Futures.
We then welcomed Volunteers from Family Action, The Bread and Butter Thing, Scouts and Sporting Chance to speak about the benefits and challenges of volunteering in their own words.
Daisy Chain were welcomed onto the stage to talk about their new NeuThread project, a project designed to keep clothing out of landfill, saved and refurbished.
We then hosted three workshops.
- National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme
- Funding Workshop
- The Dos and Don’ts of DBS
In the afternoon, we ended with our annual celebration of the VCSE sector in Stockton-on-Tees by handing out our Catalyst Awards to 10 worthy winners. You can view the winners below.
Catalyst Award Winners
Volunteer of the Year – Sponsored by The Banks Group
Gary Doyle – BCT Aspire
Young Volunteer of the Year – Sponsored by Michael Poole Estate & Letting Agents
Luke Gaughan – Stockton-on-Tees Volunteer Drivers Service
VCSE Employee of the Year
Nigel Jessop – Volunteering Matters
Trustee of the Year
Hollie Ball – Homestart Teesside
Health & Wellbeing Award
Red Balloons
Youth Organisation Award – Sponsored by Wilton Engineering
BCT Aspire
CSR Award – Sponsored by Cornerstone Business Solutions
Ben Turner – Evolve Sports Academy
Inclusion Award – Sponsored by Education Training Collective
Steven Dansics – Norton Men’s Shed
Climate Care Award
RSPB Saltholme Volunteers
Community Impact Award – Sponsored by Bristow & Sutor
Stockton-on-Tees Volunteer Drivers Service
Catalyst Conference & Achievement Awards 2025!
The 2025 Conference and Awards were held on Wednesday 19th February. The conference theme for 2025 was ‘Working in Partnership’ and as such we welcomed several local VCSEs from different sectors to showcase how they have used partnership working to benefit themselves and their clients.
We also welcomed representatives from Stockton Borough Council, Sarah Bowman-Abouna and Jane Edmund to highlight how the council have worked in partnership with other sectors.
Our break-out workshops in 2025 included;
- ‘CSR: How VCSE Organisations and Businesses Can Work Together’ delivered by Just Williams.
- ‘Show Racism The Red Card’
- ‘Building Successful Foundations For Partnership Working’ delivered by Hartlepool Community Trust
- ‘Working In Partnership’ delivered by Bridges
Catalyst Awards 2025 Winners
Volunteer of the year – Larissa Bennett – Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees
Young Volunteer of the year (under 25) – Libby Hughes – BCT Aspire
VCSE Employee of the year – Kate Brazukas – A Way Out
Trustee of the year – Michelle Kilcullen – Stockton Wheelers Cycling Club
Health & Wellbeing Award- Hope Cancer Community Support Group
Youth Organisation Award – Care To Dance
Inclusion Award – SYSTEMIC (Sing Your Song True Equality Matters Inclusion Choir)
CSR Award – Sovereign Supply Chain
Climate Care Award – Roseworth Community Garden Champions & Hope Community Garden
Community Impact Award- Changing Lives
Catalyst Conference & Achievement Awards 2023!
The 2023 Conference and Awards were held on Thursday 16th November the conference theme was ‘Insight into the VCSE sector in Stockton’. As such, we welcomed several local VCSEs to the stage, bringing an interactive element using a live and interactive polling tool through smartphones. We also welcomed Mike Greene, CEO, Stockton Borough Council as a keynote speaker.
A key focus was to generate a deeper understanding of the VCSE sector as a collective both here in the Stockton Borough but also drawing on North East insights.
We also organised break out workshop sessions which included;
- ‘A Journey Through Transition’ delivered by Hart Gables.
- ‘Meet The Funders’ including The National Lottery and Teesside Charity
- ‘Stockton Borough Council Services that benefit VCSE’s’ including Direct Payments & Stockton Information Directory presentations.
The Annual Catalyst Conference is the chance for VCSE organisations in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees to come together to discuss issues, network and learn more about what is happening.
Catalyst 2023 Impact Awards Winners
Volunteer of the year – Sue Hardy – Bungalow Partnership
Young Volunteer of the year (under 18) – Jessica Lendon, Cornerhouse Youth Project
VCSE Employee of the year – Rhys Stephens Citizens Advice
Health & Wellbeing Impact Award- A Way Out – Liberty/Stage
Youth Support Impact Award – Cornerhouse Youth Project
Equalities Impact Award – Sanna Hussain
Public Sector Community Impact Award – SBC Community Engagement Team
Business Community Impact Award – Just Williams
Community Impact Award- Recovery Connections
Environmental Impact Award – Matthew Ford Huggins – Thornaby Community Litter Project
Looking Back – Conference & Awards 2022
The 2022 Catalyst Conference and Awards took place on Friday 18th November at Stockton Baptist Church. At our conference in the morning, we were delighted to invite Internationally renowned designer, and founder of Red or Dead, Wayne Hemingway MBE to speak about sustainability.
We also welcomed Mike Greene and Garry Cummings, the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director from Stockton Borough Council to give a presentation on the developments in Stockton High Street.
- Beth Dale – Regional Outreach Advisor from the DBS service
- Ashley Staines – Co-Founder of Volunteero
- Lorraine McConnell – National Lottery Funding Officer
In the afternoon we were thrilled to hear from Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees, Councillor Ross Paterson who welcomed everyone in attendance and those watching via livestream to the Catalyst Achievement Awards. We also had the honour and privilege heard from Mrs Sue Snowden, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham.
We heard from 27 finalists in 9 categories which highlighted the fantastic work that not only the VCSE sector but Public and Private sector to. The judging panel had the unenviable task of whittling 27 finalists down to 1 winner per category but we would like to congratulate, not just the winners but the finalists as well, and everyone who was nominated for their hard work in the last 12 months.
The winners of the 2022 Catalyst Awards are:
- Volunteer of the year – Derick Walker, FRADE
- Young Volunteer of the year – Abbiegail Jinks – HYPE Youth Project
- VCSE Employee of the year – Colin Liddle, BCT Aspire
- Outstanding contribution to the community by a VCSE organisation in 2021/22 – ARCH Teesside
- Outstanding contribution to the community by a public sector organisation in 2021/22 – North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Volunteer Service
- Outstanding contribution to the community by a private company in 2021/22 – Premier Stores, Norton Road
- Innovation of the year, in the VCSE sector – Billingham Boxing Academy
- Best new VCSE organisation of the year – Yarm Wellness
- Community Group of the year – The Lighthouse Drop-In Centre
Catalyst Conference & Awards
The Annual Catalyst Conference is the chance for Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Stockton-on-Tees to come together.
At the conference VCSE organisations have the opportunity to discuss issues, to network, and to learn more about what is happening in our Borough. Each year the Conference is themed around a topic relevant to the VCSE that year.
The conference gives attendees the chance to listen to speakers, attend workshops, network and visit stalls from charities and organisations from within our Borough.
Contact Mark.Ferguson@CatalystStockton.org for more information.