Collaboration has changed the way business interacts with the world around it. That was readily apparent at last night’s Corporate Engagement Awards.

The awards honoured the best in European sponsorship, partnerships and corporate social responsibility. In the hundreds of entries judged, those that won exhibited true collaboration between partner organisations or within an internal community.

The night’s Grand Prix winner, which also took home four other gold awards and one silver was a collaboration between over six partners, all of which had their own objectives leading into the project. The Build-it programme, supported by Cospa, brought public, private and third sector stakeholders together in south London’s borough of Lambeth to allow young people out of traditional education to build skills while helping to regenerate their local community.

Tim Reading, director of Cospa, which coordinated the Build-it programme, says, "It's tremendous to see Build-it recognised for the impact its having in helping young people to learn valuable new vocational skills and access employment opportunities whilst improving social housing in local communities. At the same time, I'm really pleased that the awards have highlighted and acknowledged the collaborative, cross-sector partnership approach that underpins and drives the programme. All of the partners involved both contribute something unique and essential to help make the programme happen, but also gain demonstrable business and organisational benefits from their involvement."

The next two most successful programmes included a collaboration between Camden Town Unlimited, the Camden Council and the Mayor of London (Greater London Authority) to support SMEs and artists in the Camden area and KPMG’s longstanding pro bono programmes with partners ranging from Restless Development and Fairtrade to Shelter and the National Literacy Trust.

The awards were presented by Paralympic medallist and television presenter Ade Adepitan who discussed the value of working together and understanding one’s community.

The Corporate Engagement Awards, now in their fourth year, recognise successful programmes across sectors and industries. This year, those taking home trophies hailed from companies as big as Telefónica and McDonalds to as locally-focused as the Saffron Lane Neighbourhood Council and PT Bank Mandiri, hailing from Indonesia. Winners made a difference in the worlds of sports, agriculture and development, local business, education, sustainability and recycling and beyond.

David Hamilton, one of the CEA judges and head of PR and engagement for Action for Children, says, "The Corporate Engagement Awards are a brilliant showcase for the outstanding work happening in corporate social responsibility teams and beyond. Businesses who engage effectively with non-for-profit organisations can make a real difference in solving society's problems and in encouraging opportunity and quality of life for all. They also help companies to increase the retention and enthusiasm of their own staff, and help employees to reach their potential. It was a delight, as a judge to see so many strong entries in the awards. We uncovered many great examples of how partnerships can work in practice, demonstrating clear passion for the causes being supported."

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best arts and culture programme

Gold - HighTide and Lansons

Silver – EY and Tate

Bronze - VTB Capital and Eifman Ballet

Best charity, NGO or NFP programme

Gold - Barrie Wells – Box 4 Kids

Bronze - CEAD - Centre for Environment And Development, CEAD Fisherfolk Collective and CEAD Women SHGs

Bronze - KPMG LLP, Dyslexia Action, Shelter and The National Literacy Trust

Best pro bono work for a charitable, social and ethical cause

Gold - KPMG LLP, Dyslexia Action, Shelter and The National Literacy Trust

Silver - 30% Club, BNY Mellon and MHP Communications

Bronze - Housing for Women and MerchantCantos

Bronze - Barrie Wells – Box 4 Kids

Highly commended - WPP

Best educational programme

Gold - Cospa, Hyde Housing, Keepmoat, Lambeth Council, Lambeth Living, London Youth, Mears and Metropolitan 

Silver - Telefónica UK (O2) and Young Enterprise

Bronze - EDF Energy and EdComs

Bronze - National Apprenticeship Service and Public Relations Consultants Association

Highly commended - National Grid, City Year UK and Grayling Public Affairs

Best environmental and sustainable programme

Gold - Marks & Spencer Group and Oxfam

Gold - PT Bank Mandiri TBK and Universitas Gadjah Mada

Silver – Dentsu Aegis Network and Yomp

Bronze - O2 and Hope&Glory PR

Bronze - Wm Morrison Supermarkets

Highly commended - Olswang and Project Dirt

Best sports and leisure programme

Gold - Barrie Wells – Box 4 Kids

Silver - Premiership Rugby, British Council and Serviço Social da Indústria

Best combined programme

Gold - Cospa, Hyde Housing, Keepmoat, Lambeth Council, Lambeth Living, London Youth, Mears and Metropolitan

Silver - Camden Town Unlimited, Camden Council and The Mayor of London (Greater London Authority)

Bronze - Premiership Rugby, BT Sport's Supporters Club and Public Health England

Highly commended - School for Social Entrepreneurs, Big Lottery Fund, Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland

TIME

Most effective short term programme

Gold - PT Bank Mandiri TBK and Universitas Gadjah Mada

Silver - Camden Town Unlimited, Camden Council and The Mayor of London (Greater London Authority)

Silver - KPMG LLP, Dyslexia Action, Shelter and The National Literacy Trust Bronze - O2 and Hope&Glory PR

Highly commended - KCOM Group and Sparks

Most effective long term programme

Gold - KPMG LLP, Child Helpline International, Fairtrade and Restless Development

Silver - EDF Energy

Silver - Telefónica UK (O2), The National Youth Agency and UK Youth

Bronze - School for Social Entrepreneurs, Big Lottery Fund and Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland

Highly commended - HighTide and Lansons

SPONSORSHIP

Best sponsorship activity to raise brand awareness

Gold – Sony Mobile, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Grandins Flying Circus

Best alignment of brand values through a sponsorship activity

Gold - Coca-Cola Great Britain, FIFA and StreetGames

Silver - vInspired and RBS Early Careers

Most innovative sponsorship activity

Gold - Cancer Research UK and ScottishPower

Silver - Sony Mobile, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Grandins Flying Circus

Highly commended - VTB Capital and Calvert 22

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Best alignment of brand values during a CSR programme

Gold - O2 and Hope&Glory PR

Silver - BT and Lord's Taverners

Best community involvement during a CSR programme

Gold - Cospa, Hyde Housing, Keepmoat, Lambeth Council, Lambeth Living, London Youth, Mears and Metropolitan

Silver - Astellas Pharma EMEA and various partners

Silver - KPGroup Philippines, Inc. and Kanepackage Group of Companies

Bronze – Premiership Rugby, Barclays, Comic Relief, Land Rover and Wooden Spoon

Bronze - Michelin

Highly commended - NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment

Best collaboration of a single event

Gold – Vodafone, Vodafone Foundation and Threshold Sports

Silver - Investec Wealth & Investment and Lord's Taverners

Silver - National Farmers Union and Wm Morrison Supermarkets

Highly commended - Cancer Research UK and ScottishPower

Most innovative collaboration

Gold - Camden Town Unlimited, Camden Council and The Mayor of London (Greater London Authority)

Gold - Cospa, Hyde Housing, Keepmoat, Lambeth Council, Lambeth Living, London Youth, Mears and Metropolitan

Silver - Internet Matters

Bronze - Central England Co-operative and Saffron Lane Neighbourhood Council

Highly commended - KPMG LLP, Child Helpline International, Fairtrade and Restless Development

Best foundation programme

Gold - Santander UK Foundation

COMMUNICATION

Best stakeholder communications

Gold - Internet Matters

Gold - Puma Energy and MerchantCantos

Bronze - Marks & Spencer Group and Logistik

Best internal communications

Gold - EDF Energy

Silver - Puma Energy and MerchantCantos

Silver - Tayburn

Bronze - McDonald’s UK and Arc London

Highly commended - 100%Open and Oxfam

Best PR and external communications

Gold - MasterCard Europe and Ketchum

Silver - Internet Matters

Bronze - O2 and Hope&Glory PR

Highly commended - Anthony Nolan and Trinity Mirror plc

Best evaluation

Silver - EDF Energy

PROCESS

Best collaborative approach

Gold - Camden Town Unlimited, Camden Council and The Mayor of London (Greater London Authority)

Gold - Central England Co-operative and Saffron Lane Neighbourhood Council

Silver - Cospa, Hyde Housing, Keepmoat, Lambeth Council, Lambeth Living, London Youth, Mears and Metropolitan

Silver - KPMG LLP and Living Wage Foundation

Bronze - Cancer Research UK and ScottishPower

Highly commended - Asda and Corporate Culture Group

Best execution

Gold- Camden Town Unlimited, Camden Council and The Mayor of London (Greater London Authority)

Silver - O2 and Hope&Glory PR

Bronze - Asda and Corporate Culture Group

Best management of a programme

Gold - KPMG LLP, Child Helpline International, Fairtrade and Restless Development

Silver – TI Pharma, Astellas, Farmanguinhos, Merck, Simcyp and Swiss TPH

PEOPLE

Best personal contribution during a programme

Gold - Ronan Dunne, CEO, Telefónica UK (O2)

Silver - Mike Kelly, head of Living Wage, KPMG LLP 

Best team effort during a programme

Gold - Cancer Research UK and ScottishPower

Silver - Cancer Research UK and Compass Group

Grand prix

Cospa, Hyde Housing, Keepmoat, Lambeth Council, Lambeth Living, London Youth, Mears and Metropolitan