2009 Award Winner

 WINNER: Voluntary and not for profit organisations.

Colette Watkins, Manager, The Gellideg Foundation Group
   collette watkins
The Gellideg Foundation is a community group which empowers local people to turn their lives around.

Charismatic, motivating and principled Colette has shown outstanding determination and courage in the development of a community group which has become a voice for people living in poverty across Wales.

Ten years ago Colette took a step into the unknown by agreeing to lead a fledgling community group in a disadvantaged area.

Gellideg was run down, its community spirit gone. Armed only with a vision to put the well-being of the men and women of Gellideg first, Colette and a group of six other local mothers decided to make a change.

Since then, Colette has taken in her stride financial management, organisational development, staff management and business strategy to grow the GFG into an organisation which employs more than 40 people and has an annual turnover of over £1.5 million. It now provides services including health and well-being initiatives, training and skills development programmes, volunteering opportunities and after school, youth and holiday clubs.

Colette has never been motivated by financial or political gain, but always by the desire to make a difference. She worked long hours to attend meetings, speak to residents about personal issues and address conferences in Wales and in the UK. Because of her hard work and leadership Gellideg is a better place to live. Residents have more opportunities and support, but vitally there is an expectation that they deserve better and can contribute to their own development.

One of Colette’s key achievements has been to give residents a voice in the decisions which affect their lives. She puts people experiencing poverty first, an approach which has changed the way that statutory and voluntary bodies work in Merthyr Tydfil and beyond. Colette is not only a champion for Gellideg, but also a voice of influence calling for more accountability towards people in poverty in Wales.