MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARDS 2025

In Association with

The Make A Difference Awards are an opportunity for us to celebrate the colleagues and employers who have really made a difference over the past year to workplace culture, mental health and wellbeing. Those who are leading the way and inspiring others to follow their example.

Launched in 2021, the Awards are an integral part of Make A Difference Media & Events’ mission to bring more and more employers to the employee health and wellbeing conversation. They also showcase the organisations that are setting a new benchmark for workplace cultures, where every individual can thrive.

For 2025, we are looking for entries that show a sustainable and measurable commitment to proactive, preventative and inclusive support of employee health and wellbeing. This should be based on a clear understanding of employee needs, which is used to inform a well thought through employee health and wellbeing strategy that is linked to business objectives. We also want entries to demonstrate cross-departmental cooperation that is embedding health and wellbeing into workplace culture across the organisation as business as usual.

In 2023 we received a phenomenal response to the Awards. We have made it as straightforward as possible to enter and we encourage you to take part – from multi-national corporates right through to small charities and everything in between.

The Voters’ winners of Awards 1A, 1B, 1C and 2A, 2B, 2C will be determined by the number of votes received on our dedicated Open Vote page.

If you would like to sponsor the 2025 Make A Difference Awards, contact [email protected].

What sets the Make A Difference Awards apart?

  • It’s quick, free and easy to enter or make a nomination for the Awards.
  • The Awards are designed to celebrate the progress of employers  and colleagues when it comes to workplace culture, mental health and wellbeing. Suppliers are welcome to enter Award 1 to showcase how they are supporting their own employees.
  • As well as judging by our panel of workplace health and wellbeing experts, we invite our 35,000+ network to cast their votes. We also encourage nominees to invite their networks to do the same – so that word about the Awards is spread far and wide. Our 2024 Award nominees received 6ooo+ votes via a dedicated page on www.makeadifference.media.
  • The Award winners will be announced at a special Awards venue at The Watercooler and The Office Expos 2025
  • The Award winners will be profiled on makeadifference.media and in Make A Difference news.

Award Categories & Shortlists

Award 1

Employer that has made the most difference to employee health and wellbeing over the past year: 

Category A: Companies with > 500 employees

Category B: Companies with < 500 employees

Category C: Public sector / non-profit organisations

Award 2

Colleague who has made the most difference to workplace mental health and wellbeing over the past year:

Category A: True leader

Category B: Unsung hero / heroine

Category C: Champions network

Only the shortlisted nominees for Awards 1 and 2 will be put to the “open / public” vote. Awards 3 to 10 will be judged by our panel of experts. Not all networks are equal, so in addition to the Voters’ winners, the Judges also select winners of Awards 1 and 2. 

Award 3

Best provision of women’s health and wellbeing support

Award 4

Best integration of workplace health and wellbeing & DEI

Award 5

Best support of neurodiversity through neuro inclusion

Award 6

Best support of financial wellbeing

Award 7

Best management training to support health and wellbeing

Award 8

Sector spotlight: Legal sector’s best implementation of health and wellbeing support

Award 9

Sector spotlight: Retail’s best implementation of health and  wellbeing support

Supported by:

Award 10

Sector spotlight: Construction’s best implementation of health and wellbeing support

How the 2025 Awards will work:

Thursday 9th January:

The Award judges will be announced in Make A Difference News and the Awards opened for nominations

Friday 21st February:

Nominations close

Thursday 6th March:

Shortlist of nominees announced and voting opens

Thursday 10th April:

Voting closes

Tuesday 29th April, 5.00pm – 7.00pm

 

Award judges

"At a time when our personal wellbeing is so important, I think it’s essential that we not only recognise the valuable contributions that individuals and organisations are making to workplace wellbeing, but also use these examples to help others implement their own health and wellbeing interventions. The Make A Difference Awards highlight the changes that we can all make to improve our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us and we were delighted to be the Awards' inaugural sponsor, along with Royal Mail Group"
Simon Arnold,
Former CEO, Optima Health – inaugural sponsor of the Make A Difference Awards

Nominations for 2025 open on January 1 2025

Choose the award to enter - you are welcome to enter more than one award you will need to complete a new form for each award.

Please remember that suppliers of workplace wellbeing solutions cannot enter or be nominated for the awards. They are for employers and colleagues only
Please explain in no more than 250 words why you believe the colleague(s) / employer that you are nominating should receive the Make A Difference Award which you are putting them forwards for; what they have done and the impact this has had/is having on workplace culture, mental health and wellbeing. Please note that the judges will be looking for entries that show a sustainable and measurable commitment to proactive, preventative and inclusive support of workplace wellbeing. Entries should also demonstrate cross-departmental cooperation that is embedding workplace wellbeing across the culture of the organisation as business as usual. If you have any queries about the nomination process, please contact [email protected]

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