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The 2012 Mustard Seed Awards 

The Christian Initiative Trust and Premier Radio have been delighted with the response. Almost 200 applications were received and we would like to thank everyone who responded to our call and who put time and effort into formulating their applications.

The Winners

GOLD: Marc Griffiths, puppeteer and ventriloquist (Marc's father, Mr Griffiths, attended the ceremony to collect the award for him) 

SILVER: Ed Walker and Noel Garner, Hope into Action 

BRONZE: Mike North, Sheffield Diocese Youth Programme

A ventriloquist and puppeteer, who has utilised his special skills to create a teaching tool for children, won the Gold award in a competition to find Christians with original and creative ideas to aid communities. Marc Griffiths, from Sheffield, received a cheque for £12,000 at the Mustard Seed Awards presentation ceremony on the morning of Thursday, November 1st at The Churchill War Rooms in London. It was be presented by The Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP.

Over £50,000 in prizes was presented to winners of the competition which called for Christian or church-based organisations to come forward with their ideas for community initiatives which would touch and transform lives.

Called ‘Gold’, Mr Griffiths’ new teaching tool is expected be used by families, schools and other organisations across the UK and the rest of the world. It will be packaged as a DVD, linked into a website, and will include live video, interactive tests and instructions for parents and teachers on how to bring out the ‘gold’ in their children.

Each of 41 primary schools in Camden, London – embracing 10,500 children - will be given a copy and a further 25 copies will be sent to leading children’s charitable organisations.

The Silver award, for £10,000, went to the Peterborough-based ‘Hope In Action’ project which runs a programme in which churches each support a house for vulnerable adults – homeless, ex-offenders, former addicts, victims of domestic violence etc. The organisers already have the support of ten churches in Peterborough and plan to replicate their unique model in other UK cities through a franchise system. Other winners are from Bath, London, Essex, Gloucestershire, Salford and Sussex.

Peter Kerridge, CEO of Premier Christian Media said: “Premier applauds the ingenuity and effort of this year’s winners and are confident that well-deserved prizes will help to transform some brilliant Christian concepts and initiatives into practical help to aid communities and change people’s lives.”

Sian Edwards, Director of the Christian Initiative Trust, said: “For more than forty years we have supported exceptional people who do great work as an expression of their Christian love – understanding, as we do, the power Christians can have in effecting real change. The Mustard Seed Awards celebrate the ingenuity and passion that Christians have for making the world a better place. Great things can come from small beginnings and the prize money can help to achieve great things in the hands of ambitious and determined people.”