Bowel Cancer Australia was named Best Small Charity of the Year 2019 at the national Third Sector Awards, held in Sydney Tuesday night, in recognition of our contribution to the third sector in a meaningful and impactful way that produces measurable benefits.
The charity’s strong, clear and purposeful vision and mission; engagement of stakeholders through innovative and unique marketing initiatives; impactful collaborations that drive organisational purpose; and design of solutions based on system-level change were all cited as reasons why it was chosen as the inaugural recipient of the prestigious honour.
The Award highlights the big impact Bowel Cancer Australia is making, despite the organisation’s small size and limited budget when compared with comparable cancer charities.
It also serves as recognition of the collective effort – past and present – of staff and colleagues, fundraisers and donors, patients and volunteers, who have all helped contribute to Bowel Cancer Australia’s success over the years.
Providing an unbiased and objective point of reference, Third Sector and a team of judges scored hundreds of entries across multiple categories to showcase the very best in the not-for-profit sector, from health and wellbeing to advocacy.
The public was then given the opportunity to show their support for nominees through an online voting process.
“Recognition as Best Small Charity of the Year is testament to the consistently high standard of work and services provided by Bowel Cancer Australia and our commitment to championing what matters most to people affected by bowel cancer, across the care continuum,” said Bowel Cancer Australia CEO Julien Wiggins, following his acceptance of the award on behalf of the 100% community-funded charity.
Founded in 2000, Bowel Cancer Australia has become the leading community-funded bowel cancer charity, through initiatives such as Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, BowelScreen Australia – a pharmacy-based screening program, and the Big Bowel Tour.
Bowel Cancer Australia offers the only Bowel Care Nurse Helpline and the highly popular Peer-to-Peer Support Network often referred to by patients and loved ones as a ‘lifeline’.
In addition, the charity provides an unrivalled suite of patient information, publications, and resources – including the highest-ranking bowel cancer website in the country, an active online community of over 120,000 followers and the world’s first bowel cancer app.