At the inaugural EmpowerEU Awards ceremony, organized by the EU Delegation to the UK, Settled was honoured with a ‘Community Endeavour’ award in the Community Champion category. The EmpowerEU Awards have been created to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements by organisations across the UK in supporting EU citizens and strengthening EU-UK relations, EU-UK youth cooperation, and community champions who have made a lasting impact at the local level.

There were many wonderful organisations from across the UK nominated for these awards. Settled is proud to be the recipient of the first-ever ‘Community Endeavour’ award recognising the vital work that all staff, trustees and our amazing volunteers do supporting EU citizens and their families to secure their immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme – providing information, advice and support services throughout the UK via multilingual telephone helplines, online and in-person. 

In the words of Martine Petetin, Settled’s Chair, “What a fabulous achievement! This award from the EU Delegation recognises the important, passionate role that everyone at Settled has played over the past five years, working hard to ensure that vulnerable EU citizens can lawfully stay in their home in the UK after Brexit. Well done Settled, this award is well deserved!

“This could only be done thanks to our wonderful staff, volunteers and partners in Scotland, Wales and England. Their efforts will continue to be needed as thousands of EU citizens in the UK are still struggling to have their rights recognised. Settled will continue to work even harder to make them feel welcomed and supported across all the UK, in their own languages, to have their rights respected and to celebrate the richness of everyone’s contributions to British life.”

Receiving the award, Kate Smart, Settled’s CEO, said: “Settled has a reputation for being a collaborative organisation and works closely and in partnership with many organisations that are in the room and that were at the event earlier today. But we have two funded partners: Citizens Rights Project in Scotland, and Tros Gynnal Plant in Wales… and I’d like to invite them onto the stage to share this with us…

“Robert de Niro said: ‘Love and Work, Work and Love, that’s all there is.’ Settled is famous for many things, but one of these is how hard the staff and volunteers work for EU citizens. So, it is fitting that this is an award for endeavour – an award for hard work.

“Settled is a charity, and the word charity means love. Part of Settled’s success is that everyone involved in Settled loves the work that they do, and the way in which they go about their work is motivated by love for the people that they serve. Love and Work, Work and Love, that’s all there is.”

You can hear more from Kate about what this award means for Settled in the short video below.

Our work could not be possible without the very generous donations from the public. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports Settled in one way or another. Every donation, small or large, regular or one-off, is hugely appreciated! If you would like to support our work, please donate by clicking here.

From all of us at Settled… Thank you!