A TOLLESBURY based charity bagged an award for their children’s project at a ceremony in London.

Fellowship Afloat Charitable Trust (FACT) received a bronze award in the ‘Best Children’s Project’ category at the Christian Funders Forum (CFF) Awards at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster last week.

FACT fought stiff competition to be short-listed at the annual awards which seeks to celebrate the great work done by grass roots organisations across the UK.

This was the first time the Best Children’s Project award had been given.

FACT is a residential floating outdoor activity centre in Tollesbury on the Essex coast.

Each year they welcome 1,750 children and young adults onboard to experience a life changing experience.

The children enjoy sailing, kayaking, the high ropes challenge, climbing wall and exploring the lightship Trinity.

In the majority of cases the visitors, mainly school and youth groups, learn new skills, grow in confidence and self-esteem, form new friendships and better their team working skills.

FACT Chief Executive Andrew Eastham said: “We were delighted to be nominated and it was fantastic to win an award.

“FACT is all about giving young people a life-changing experience that will be a memory for life. I am very proud of all the team at FACT including our volunteers who give up their time to support the work we do, our feedback forms evidence that we really do make a difference.”

Matt Bird, Chair of CFF, said: “So much of the incredible work that goes on in our communities is largely unseen and mostly unrecognised.

“The Christian Funders’ Forum Awards are about putting the spotlight on the work of churches and charities whose volunteers live lives in the service of other people.”

Each year members of the Christian Funders Forum (CFF) give over £30million to Christian mission both in the UK and overseas.

Some of the innovative projects funded by the member organisations over the past year were recognised at the awards ceremony on November 16.