Chris Frost, chief executive of Merton Voluntary Service Council in south-west London, has been named as the winner of this year’s Compact Leadership Award.
The prize was one of seven given out by Compact Voice, which represents the voluntary sector on the Compact, at a ceremony in London last night as part of Compact Week, which is taking place this week.
Judges said Frost was "one of the leading advocates for the Compact in the country" and had been "tireless in her lobbying for the Compact", which sets out how public and voluntary sector organisations should behave towards each other.
Other winners included the South Gloucestershire Compact Implementation Group, which won the Local Compact Partnership Award, and the Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action, which took the Compact Engagement Award for its work on the Gloucestershire Compact.
Merton Youth Partnership won the Compact Innovation Award.
Alun Michael was the inaugural recipient of the Chair’s Award, given by Simon Blake, chair of Compact Voice, to recognise excellence in Compact working.
Michael, who last month stood down as Labour MP for Cardiff South and Penarth to stand for election as the south Wales police and crime commissioner, was involved in developing the Compact in 1998 and has been a strong supporter of it in recent years.
The awards were presented by Blake and Nick Hurd, the Minister for Civil Society.
Full list of winners
Compact Advancing Equality Award: Redbridge Faith Forum
Compact Impact Award: East Sussex Compact Steering Group
Compact Innovation Award: Merton Youth Partnership
Local Compact Partnership Award: South Gloucestershire Compact Implementation Group
Compact Engagement Award: Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action, Gloucestershire Compact
Compact Leadership Award: Chris Frost, Merton Compact
Chair’s Award: Alun Michael
