 Festival Angels are the winners of SME New UK Enterprise Awards 'Faith Based Festival Support Charity of the Year 2026'.
Media Release: SME News Magazine announces the winners of this year’s UK Enterprise Awards. Throughout this year’s programme, the UK Enterprise Awards continues to highlight and applaud businesses and individuals purely based on their recent performance. The 2026 instalment, as the ninth edition of this programme, is a beacon of light for those looking for stellar services, anyone searching for inspiration along their own path, or anyone wanting to understand the developments within the UK’s corporate landscape. Reaching from corner to corner of business in the UK, the awardees within this year’s edition come from all kinds of industries. From health, beauty, and wellness to construction, law to food and drink, software and technology to home improvement, and so much more, SME News is proud to present these pioneering solutions and incredible success stories. Winner of the 'Faith Based Festival Support Charity of the Year 2026' is Festival Angels who work at festivals across the UK each year. Paul Blakey MBE, lead of Festival Angels, comments, "This award is for each and every Festival Angel who spend summer months offering support and help to festival-goers and organisers. Our teams go above and beyond from local grassroots events to some of the biggest festivals in the country. Winning the SME News UK Enterprise Award is another way of showcasing the impact we are making." SME News prides itself on the validity of its awards and winners. The awards are given solely on merit and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition. To learn more about our award winners and to gain insight into the working practices of the “best of the best,” please visit the SME News website where you can access the winners supplement. Last year Leeds Festival Left Luggage and the Prayer Cafe supported 10 charities, several food banks / church / community groups with biscuits and helped start a football team!   Festival Angels were part of 'Prayers of Hope' on Premier Christian Radio.
Listen to the full prayer below. "As Festival Angels we are seeking to shine God's light at some of the many festivals and events taking place over the summer. As people gather for music, community and fun we pray for those, like Festival Angels, who are seeking to offer welfare and support. We pray for those at Download Festival, with headliners such as Linkin Park and Guns and Roses, who received Jesus Loves Festivals temporary tattoos and especially for the 20 or so people who wanted to explore Jesus further and received a copy of the Metal Bible. We pray for those involved and working within festival life." Each year communities host Festivals that bring people together for music, culture and new experiences. Festival Angels have worked at some of the largest UK Festivals for over 15 years and have a model that can easily be replicated at smaller local events. Download the PDF for more information on how you can run Festival Angels at a local festival.  Nine Yorkshire based charities are set to benefit from Leeds Festival Angels Left Luggage payments.
Each year payments made by people to leave items as they arrive at Bramham Park's Leeds Festival are donated to local charities. Pete Hodgson, the coordinator of the Leeds Festival Angels team, comments, "Our amazing team of Angels safely stored over 200 items of left luggage over the 3 days of Leeds Festival. This year we invited the Leeds Festival Angels team to nominate charities which then went to a vote. Nine very worthwhile organisations will receive £100 each." Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, says, "This is a wonderful idea and gesture from wonderful people. Leeds Festival wouldn’t be what it is today without the valuable contribution Festival Angels makes and this sums them up perfectly. " The charities set to receive £100 are: In2Out: In2Out works out of HMYOI Wetherby in West Yorkshire with young peo[ple from all over the North and Midlands. In2Out have helped them to resettle into society after release and move toward independent living. The organisation has brought reconciliation into families, order into chaotic lives and a sense of hope for the future. In2Out have made this happen by showing them individually that someone cares. Leeds Mind: Leeds Mind is your local independent mental health charity, providing mental health support for adults and young people across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Services include: counselling, support groups, employment support, creative wellbeing, suicide bereavement support, and lots more. Candlelighters: A childhood cancer diagnosis turns lives upside down. Candlelighters provides a range of emotional, practical and financial support to bring comfort to children and families affected by childhood cancer in Yorkshire. They also invest in research to help improve young lives through treatment and beyond. Teenage Cancer Trust: the only UK charity providing specialised nursing care and support for young people with cancer. Teenage Cancer Trust support anyone diagnosed with cancer aged 13-24, and their loved ones too. CICS - Christians in Calderdale Schools: The CICS team offer a wide range of activities to support schools across Calderdale. They work predominantly in Secondary Schools. CICS is the lead organisation of ‘The Partnership’ alongside several Christian based organisations and the church across the Borough. CICS and The Partnership offer a wide range of school based involvement including: mentoring; faith panels; Chilli Tuesdays for Calderdale College Students; input into lessons around a wide range of topics; support for staff; out of school Christian based groups. MND Association: MND is the short term for motor neurone disease, which affects the nerves known as motor neurones. These nerves are found in the brain and spinal cord and they help tell your muscles what to do. MND Association funds research into cures for MND and provides grants to help MND sufferers and their carers. Meeting Point: based at Christ Church Upper Armley supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds. They work towards social integration and collaborate with organizations to provide support in health, employment, advice, family support, and food provision. Meeting Point's mission includes breaking down barriers and reducing negative stereotypes in the local community. Inspire North: supports those facing mental health problems, dementia, homelessness, domestic abuse, and resettlement to build a brighter future. Inspire North work across the north of England, from Doncaster to Durham. The Wren Bakery: A small charity based in Leeds supporting women who face multiple disadvantages back into employment through training in barista skills and baking. The Wren Bakery believes in second chances and sees the potential in every one of these women. The charity aims to empower and equip them to hope for a future, and give them the tools to obtain it. More information on the work of Festival Angels, including how to sign up for 2026 festivals, is at festivalangels.org.uk
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