The finalists for this year’s GoGardless JustGiving Awards have been chosen with the help of a celebrity-packed judging panel.

The high-profile roster was made up of professional strictly dancer Amy Dowden, broadcaster Adele Roberts, TV personality Jake Quickenden, paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, TV presenter Sunetra Sarker and returning judge, radio presenter Rickie Haywood Williams.

Adele, who was a finalist at last year’s awards, said: “I was over the moon to be a finalist at the GoCardless JustGiving Awards and now I am honoured to take on the role of being a judge.

“Having fundraised throughout my treatment with bowel cancer, I can truly appreciate the lengths that these people have gone to for the causes closest to them.”

Alongside JustGiving president, Pascale Harvie, and the managing director of UK & Ireland and Chief Customer Officer at GoCardless, Pat Phelan, the team of eight had the tough job of whitling down almost 20,000 nominations for fundraisers and crowdfunders across the country. This year’s categories include Young, Outstanding Commitment, Creative and Team awards, with the judges spending more than four hours at GoCardless’ central London offices carefully deciding the shortlist.

The room was filled with amazement as well as tears and emotion as the panel agreed on which inspiring fundraisers should be put forward to win a gong. The 21 finalists will be announced on July 1 2024 and then it’s up to the public to vote via JustGiving’s website for who they believe should be awarded one of seven awards at the ceremony at London’s iconic Roundhouse in September.

Winners will be presented with their official trophy by well-known faces from the world of celebrities and sport.

Pascale Harvie, President and General Manager of JustGiving said: “Every single person who takes on a fundraising challenge to raise money for a good cause is amazing.

“We’ve had to make some really tough choices when agreeing our finalists and I’d like to thank my fellow judges for helping us make these difficult decisions.”

Previous award winners include eight-year-old Harry Smith, who was awarded Young Fundraiser of the Year after he swam a mile, climbed Britain’s highest mountain and cycled the journey home from the hospital that cared for his late sister Emily.

While Bill Bailey won Celebrity Fundraiser of the Year for his fundraising work for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of his friend and well-known British comedian, Sean Lock, who passed away in 2021.

Amy Dowden, professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, said: “Having made the life-saving decision to get checked after my charity trek for CoppaFeel!, I have had firsthand experience of the incredible impact that fundraising can have on a person’s life.

“I’m delighted to play my part as a judge in this year’s GoCardless JustGiving Awards. For me it’s not just about the amazing amounts of money raised, it’s about how these fundraisers have spread the word and raised awareness for their cause.”

Ellie Simmonds OBE, former paralympic swimmer, said: “After attending last year’s awards, I was left in awe by the selfless fundraisers who have gone above and beyond to help others.

“Having to choose between so many amazing individuals was no easy task because they truly all deserve the recognition.”

Jake Quickenden, TV presenter and actor, said: “I found this experience really emotional. I ran a marathon in memory of my brother and it was genuinely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. So to see what other people have done in memory of their loved ones was amazing but at the same time, tough. It’s great to be involved in the Just Giving Awards!”

Sunetra Sarker, actress and TV presenter, said: “After losing two of my friends to cancer last year, I know how important it is for us all to raise awareness for the causes we care most about. It really can save lives.

“I’m in awe of all of the amazing finalists that we have chosen today

and I’m honoured to have been part of their journey in getting the recognition they deserve.”

Rickie Haywood-Williams, radio, podcast and TV presenter said: “I’m thrilled to be on the judging panel for the second year running for the GoCardless JustGiving Awards. This is a truly special event that celebrates some of the world’s most incredible fundraisers and crowdfunders.

“Judging the entries was tough, especially when it came to the kids, they’re all so amazing.”

Pat Phelan, Managing Director of UK & Ireland and Chief Customer Officer, at GoCardless: "We're honoured to have hosted the judging and, like last year, the process was both incredibly difficult and deeply humbling. I'd like to extend my congratulations to everyone nominated."

Caroline Jones, Award Winning Fundraiser and Podcaster, said: “As a long-standing fundraiser myself I understand how much dedication and commitment every single nominee has shown for the causes closest to them.

“It's never easy choosing between all of the amazing fundraisers, but I think we have chosen some truly incredible individuals who have gone above and beyond for charity."

Ends

For more information contact: press@justgiving.com

About JustGiving

JustGiving is the world's most trusted platform for online giving. We help people raise money for the charities and people they care about the most. In 2000, JustGiving.com began with one simple goal – to enable charities to receive donations online from anywhere in the world. Fast forward 22 years and over £6 billion has been raised for good causes in almost every single country in the world.

JustGiving became part of Blackbaud, the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good in 2017.

About GoCardless

GoCardless is a global leader in direct bank payments. We help more than 75,000 businesses, from start-ups to household names, collect both recurring and one-off payments, without the chasing, stress or expensive fees. Each year GoCardless processes more than US$30 billion of payments across 30+ countries. Our acquisition of Nordigen means we’re also helping businesses make faster and more informed decisions through easy access to bank account data. We are headquartered in the UK, with additional offices in Australia, France, Latvia and the United States. For more information, please visit www.gocardless.com and follow us on Twitter @GoCardless.

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