Zurich Municipal's Diversity and Inclusion Awards 2025 - Winners Announced
12/01/2025
We are proud to announce the winners of our Diversity and Inclusion Awards 2025, a celebration of organisations that are driving meaningful change and creating inclusive spaces for everyone.
Our Diversity and Inclusion Awards celebrate organisations that are breaking barriers and creating opportunities for everyone, regardless of background, identity, or circumstance. These winners show what it means to lead with empathy, creativity, and impact, and inspire others to build inclusive communities.
This year, we invited charities with annual incomes of up to £100,000 to apply, which represents more than 80% of all charities in the UK1. We received over 270 entries, highlighting the amazing passion and innovation in the sector.
After careful judging, here are the winners:
🏆First Place - The Body Happy Org (£10,000)
Based in Devon, The Body Happy Org works across education, health and community systems to shift the conditions that shape body image through joyful, inclusive, and evidence-informed prevention. They offer a programme to schools across the UK, aimed at creating environments where children and young people celebrate, respect and accept all bodies, especially their own. It offers curriculum resources, workshops and staff training to challenge stigma linked to weight, gender, disability, race and all other differences in appearance.
The Body Happy Org impressed our judges with their commitment to promoting body positivity and mental well-being. Their work empowers individuals to embrace diversity in body image and fosters a culture of acceptance and confidence.
Molly Forbes, Founder and Executive Director of the Body Happy Organisation, said: “We’re thrilled to receive this recognition! We see the impact every day in the schools we work with, but it’s exciting to share our approach more widely. Our priority for the prize money is to subsidise access for schools with high proportions of students on pupil premium, and we want to digitise more resources to reach even more schools.”
🏆Second Place - PATH Scotland (£5,000)
PATH Scotland empowers minority ethnic, refugee, and migrant communities with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to thrive. Through traineeships, leadership programmes and career support, they help shape workplaces across Scotland where equity, diversity and inclusion aren’t just an ideal, it’s the standard.
The initiative aims to embed fair recruitment practices in organisations and support trainees into work.
🏆Third Place - You Be You (£3,000)
Starting its work in Lambeth in London, You Be You offers anti-racist art workshops to primary schools, combining creativity with cultural education, and has created a reverse consulting programme featuring young people delivering inclusion workshops for businesses. They work both in schools, and with the wider community, to break down barriers that our young people face and empower them to thrive.
🏆Highly Commended - CareDogs and Wyatt Sinfonia (£1,000 each)
CareDogs, a befriending charity connecting volunteers and their dogs with adults and older people with learning disabilities; and Wyatt Sinfonia which opens up classical music opportunities to young people from global majority and mixed heritage backgrounds.
Sharna Thomson, Head of Performance and Change at Zurich Municipal and D&I lead, said: “With so many entries for this year’s awards, charities had to demonstrate they were delivering something really special to stand out. All of our winners were able to share impressive evidence of how their work is helping build a more inclusive world, and making a difference to people’s lives."
To all 270+ entrants, thank you for sharing your incredible stories and initiatives. Your efforts are shaping a more inclusive future for everyone. We are incredibly proud to support and celebrate your work!
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