The Deaf and Sensory Network (DSN) has been hailed winner of the Community Engagement category at this year’s Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards.
Now in its 11th year, the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards are organised by Care Management Matters (CMM), and developed in conjunction with the National Care Forum, a not-for-profit organisation offering expert advice in the care sector.
The awards recognise the hard work, dedication, innovation and excellence of everyone working in the not-for-profit sector who is making a positive difference to people’s lives, whether they are supporting children or adults.
Entries to the 2026 awards will be opening later this year and local people working for a not-for-profit organisation can register their interest to find out more now.
The accolade was awarded to DSN who engage with the community through initiatives and projects that foster inclusivity, support and community spirit. It invites service users, friends, family and community members from diverse areas to engage in health and wellness discussions, enjoy social activities and benefit from a space that supports mental health and wellbeing.
The DSN outreach vehicle enhances community connections by reducing barriers such as transportation and accessibility. Through enjoyable activities, DSN helps individuals build friendships, strengthen connections, and actively participate in their community.
It also runs successful support groups for individuals with tinnitus and provide fully interpreted wellbeing sessions for members of the Deaf community who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their native language.
Gill Reeder CEO from DSN, said: “We’re incredibly proud to win the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards and to have had the opportunity to be among so many inspiring individuals and groups who make up the not-for-profit care sector.
“The work by our community liaison team has been absolutely outstanding in reaching even the most rural and remote people with hearing loss. As hearing loss becomes even more prevalent in our society, awareness about our services has become more and more important and we are proud that this award will help show our efforts are not going unnoticed.”
Held at The Grand Hotel in Birmingham, the award ceremony was hosted by actress and television presenter Sally Lindsay.
Neil Galjaard, the divisional managing director at Markel, stated: “Each year, we are humbled and inspired by the dedication, resilience, and compassion of those working in the third sector – DNS truly embodies this and it’s inspiring to see their journey.
“Congratulations to DNS for their exceptional work. Your dedication and influence to supporting others is truly inspiring—thank you for all that you do!”
