Accelerating innovation together

The purpose and vision of the Stephen Lloyd Awards

In 2015, a small group of people set out on a journey driven by passion and a shared vision, paying tribute to a man who inspired many, to help forward-thinking innovators move forward. This marked the beginning of the Stephen Lloyd Awards, an annual competition founded by Bates Wells Foundation, offering funding and support to visionary founders, eager for their voices to be heard and their radical ideas to be championed. 

Now, a decade later, the once small group has transformed into a vibrant gathering, filled with energy and anticipation, ready to support the growth of brilliant ideas through their generosity and encouragement. Over the years, this vision resonated with countless others, including David Saint, Chairman of Action Planning, whose team has been actively helping charities and social enterprises tackle their ambitious goals, and empowering them to scale their ideas. 

Our partnership journey

Like so many others in the sector, David had immense respect for Stephen Lloyd, so when it was suggested that the Awards be set up in Stephen’s name, David was keen to participate, offering pro-bono support for organisations that were selected for the Awards.

Initially, David's contribution was limited due to his busy schedule. However, things changed when Action Planning brought on a Partnerships Manager who could dedicate time to understanding the model and work with Stephen Lloyd Awards to optimise participation.

Action Planning and its Associate teams maintain an annual commitment to the Awards, driven by several key motivations.

Our involvement honours Stephen Lloyd's lasting impact on the charity and not-for-profit sector, while allowing us to actively participate in and strengthen our sector's community.

Through the Awards, we can provide targeted pro-bono support to smaller charities that might otherwise find professional consultancy out of reach, creating meaningful opportunities for our Associate Consultants, who are passionate about supporting the charity sector.

David Saint participates as one of the large panel of judges who make initial assessments of applications, and a team of Action Planning Associate volunteers provide wide ranging pro-bono consultancy support to four or five of the finalists each year.

We have found participating in these ways to be highly rewarding – it is often possible to have greater and more lasting impact through a small amount of pro-bono work for a start-up organisation than a larger, paid-for piece of work with a more established charity.

One enthusiastic participant, Anna Jones, founder of Just Farmers, commented, “David Saint is very experienced but also incredibly kind and non-judgmental. I had reached a point where I felt a bit ashamed that I’d set up this project but didn’t feel enthusiastic about running it. I wanted to focus on the big picture stuff but needed support with the nuts and bolts of day-to-day management. David totally got it. He made me realise that a lot of founders feel that way and it was OK to hand it over. Those few times chatting to David were amazing.”

The real value – why charities choose to participate

Applying to the Stephen Lloyd Awards offers charities and social enterprises the opportunity to secure funding, skilled support and connections to help bring their innovative ideas to fruition. The Awards aims to recognise and assist early-stage projects that have the potential to create positive social and environmental change. Finalists and winners benefit from seed funding, mentorship and networking opportunities to refine their initiatives and drive sustainable impact.

The Awards are particularly helpful for early-stage projects, providing not only a financial boost but also strategic and operational support to help their visions thrive.  Many finalists and winners have achieved remarkable success, such as Release Mates (set up by former prison leavers to support individuals transitioning from prison back into society), Children Heard and Seen (a charity dedicated to helping children and young people affected by parental imprisonment) and Tangent (who are dismantling barriers to social mobility through their employment referral platform).

Three immediate benefits can be seen: 1. Winners receive financial resources that can be critical for launching or expanding their initiatives; 2. Mentorship enables access to a network of advisors to overcome operational challenges; 3. Being part of the Awards’ community fosters long-term partnerships and visibility within the charity and social enterprise sector.

In 2024, the Awards marked its 10th year with a short film, A Decade of the Stephen Lloyd Awards, looking back at the powerful stories of Award winners, their journeys and the transformative relationships formed with people helping them reach their full potential. A Ten Year Impact Snapshot was also produced, offering a quick glimpse into the finalists and winners at the forefront of change, what the impact has been for them and how the Awards have evolved over time.

Another year of excitement awaits in 2025. Sparks of kindness and dollops of optimism bring forth anticipation and hope, for everyone involved in the Awards, whether they are a new start up, waiting for someone to simply ‘believe’ in their radical idea, or they are someone with a burning desire to use their skills to drive positive change, making someone’s impossible dream a reality.