The Steve Morgan Foundation 25th Anniversary Conference and Awards celebrated 25 years of changing lives for good through £0.5 billion of investment and impact delivered since 2001.
Held at Carden Park Hotel on Monday 18th May, the milestone event was all about celebrating partnerships and building the future of philanthropy through collaboration. The conference featured inspiring keynote speeches, an interview with Steve and Sally Morgan, and workshops packed with shared learning and solution-focused discussion – all bringing our new strategy to life.
Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE, Chair of the National Lottery Community Fund, perfectly summed up the learnings from the day:
- Successful partnerships are driven by acting with both head and heart
- Positive change happens when we deliver with pace, attack and determination
- Working collaboratively towards a shared outcome creates the biggest impact – those on the front line working with delivery partners, funders and metro mayors
- Innovation comes from diverse voices in our communities
- The importance of young people gaining a voice to influence
From collaboration to celebration
Following the conference, an awards celebration, hosted by Peter McDowall, Lead Presenter at LFCTV, shone a spotlight on the work of the Foundation over the last 25 years.
Congratulations to our award finalists – those that have made the biggest difference to their communities through their work with the Foundation – who were all celebrated as winners on the evening:
Long Term Impact Award
Overall winner – OnSide
Winner – Maggie’s
Winner – Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge
Innovation Award
Overall winner – Right to Succeed/Cradle to Career
Winner – Together Type 1
Winner – Angels Connect/SACN
Inspirational Leadership Award
Overall winner – Lee Pennington, Open Door Charity
Winner – Bev Morgan, Koala North West
Winner – Gaynor McKeown, DASU and RASASC
Partnership Excellence Award
Overall winner – Brighter Futures Rhyl
Winner – Everton in the Community
Winner – LFC Foundation
Lifetime Achievement Award
Special thanks and acknowledgement went to our Founder and Chair of Trustees, Steve Morgan CBE, without whom none of this fantastic work would have been possible. Steve was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award; and messages of thanks from strategic partners, footballing celebrities, friends and family were played to end the evening’s celebrations.
“It’s been a privilege to work alongside our fantastic partners and I’m humbled and proud of what’s been achieved over 25 years. But if anything, it makes me more determined to do more.” Steve Morgan



