THERE were nominations from across the region for the Pride of Gwent Awards, and one of the most popular categories was the Charity Award.

A panel of judges met to consider the nominations for each category and Age Connects Torfaen were chosen as winner for the work they do with older people in the region.

Emma Wootten, development co-ordinator said: "The staff were stunned and delighted to have received the award. It helps the staff feel valued in the hard work that they do each day. Given the high number of charities within Gwent it was just nice to be within the mix, let alone be winners.

"It is a fantastic achievement by the team which reflects their commitment to innovation and providing the highest quality services to the older people of Torfaen, awards such as this one boost the morale of the whole organisation."

The charity is the operating title of Age Concern Torfaen, a charity for older people living in Torfaen. They aim to reduce poverty, loneliness and isolation by providing information, activities and increasing independence of the service users.

They have existed for 28 years and are passionate about the services they provide.

Ms Wootten said they they try to go ‘over and above’ for their clients.

She added: "This award celebrates the hard work of all of our staff, volunteers and trustees. We provided services to over 10,000 older people last year, we encourage their feedback about our services and act upon their suggestions for improvements to ensure that we are providing what it needed."

The award clearly means a lot to the staff at the charity, and they hope the award will make people more aware of the services they offer.

"Winning this award builds recognition for the work that we have been doing and certifies our place as the biggest provider of support for older people within Torfaen.

"The award adds value to our charity and is a great indication that given the climate, the charity is going in the right direction. We are committed to serving older people, connecting people and communities.

"We want people to know that when they support us with donations or legacies, every penny of that money will remain in the local community and will be spent helping local people. We believe we have a strong history and a bright future."

She added: "We are so lucky that we are able to take some of our users with us to the awards afternoon, to celebrate the success of this award with them.

"It is a wonderful way to show appreciation for our employees and volunteers and their efforts, in addition to raising morale. Our charity wouldn’t be winning this award without them."

The Pride of Gwent awards ceremony will be held on May 25 in the Coldra Court Hotel where the overall Pride of Gwent winner for 2018 will be announced.