21 August 2026
This month, we hosted another fantastic Challengers’ Annual Summer Staff Party and Awards, bringing our amazing team together to celebrate their hard work, achievements and dedication over the past year.
The celebrations took place at our Farnham Youthcentre, where staff enjoyed a delicious BBQ, kindly organised by our wonderful team members, alongside plenty of fun, games and laughter. The afternoon was a brilliant opportunity to come together, celebrate everything we’ve achieved as a team, and recognise the outstanding contributions of our staff.
Staff Award Winners 2026
Our staff awards were a fantastic opportunity to celebrate colleagues who bring our Challengers Approach to life every day. Alex Barker won the 2026 Person-Centred Award for ensuring that the young people he works with are always at the heart of his decisions and that every child and colleague feels heard and included. Maddie Church was highly commended in the same category for always thinking of others and being an exceptionally supportive friend and colleague.
Chris McIsaac received the Playful Award for being welcoming, friendly and approachable, as well as bringing positivity and an eagerness to take on new challenges.
The Inclusive Awards went to Ella Arbelaez Rodriguez, who always makes time for everyone, and Caroline Daval, who puts young people first, supports activity planning and helps new staff during shadow shifts.
Mary Margetson and Zoe Youkee received the Trustworthy Awards: Mary for generously supporting others and creating a safe environment, and Zoe for encouraging open discussion and being a dependable voice of reason.
The Ambitious Awards recognised two colleagues whose determination, passion and forward-thinking approach have made a lasting difference. Lisa Marie Santelli received the award for transforming the way we share the charity’s story, helping us communicate our impact more clearly and powerfully.
Callie Annels was also honoured for encouraging her staff to be their best, offering steadfast support to families and meeting every challenge with resilience. Her dedication has been especially evident in the development of our new Farnham service.
The celebrations concluded with the ‘Chair of Trustees’ Award, presented to Ash Morgan in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the charity. Ash is a passionate advocate for accessibility and inclusion, consistently working to ensure that everyone can participate, contribute and feel valued.
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all staff who were shortlisted across these five categories: Alex Barker, Alex Stewart, Amalia Tihon, Ash Morgan, Callie Annels, Caroline Daval, Chris McIsaac, Cress Robinson, Ella Arbelaez-Rodriguez, Ella Stevenson, Ellen Fenton, Hafsa Mohamud, Jade Monks, James Collins, Jane Sutherland, Josh Liescike, Kim Maher, Lisa Marie Santelli, Maddie Church, Mary Margetson, Nat Wilson, Ose Ejiagbonlamhen, Rachel Doran and Zoe Youkee.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate and congratulations again to our Staff Awards winners!