Awards

At Excellent Development, we let our impact, financial statements, and the communities that we support and our awards speak for how successful the charity is.

Excellent are working to enable millions of the world’s poorest people to transform their own lives with sand dams and clean water for life.

Below are just a few of the accolades we’ve received as we continue towards that objective...

Charity Times Awards 2019

In October 2019, we were awarded the ‘Charity of the Year: with an income of £1 million - £10 million’ Charity Times Award.

"As a small team, we are extremely proud of what we and the communities we support have achieved."

Third Sector Excellence Awards 2013

In 2013, Excellent's website content was Highly Commended by the awards. Also, Excellent's former Chairman, Stephen Owen, was one of only five finalists in the 'Charity Chair of the Year' category at the 2013 Awards. Stephen sadly passed away in December 2016, but his legacy lives on, and at the time of this nomination, Stephen said:

"I'm really honoured to have been shortlisted for this award among some incredible charity Chairs. It is recognition of how far Excellent has come in supporting the communities we work with, as well as the contribution our partners, donors and the whole Excellent team have made in transforming the environment and lives of those we support."

Charity Times Awards 2010

In 2010, Excellent Development was Highly Commended in the category of 'Charity of the Year: with an income of less than £1m'. Regarding the awards, a Charity Times spokesman said:

"The Charity Times Awards continue to be the pre-eminent celebration of best practice in the UK charity and not-for-profit sector."

Third Sector Excellence Awards - Small Charity, Big Achiever 2009

In 2009, Excellent Development won 'Small Charity, Big Achiever' at the Third Sector Excellence Awards. Stephen Cook, Editor of Third Sector Magazine said:

"The Third Sector team was impressed by just how far Excellent Development has come in its short life, moving from start-up charity to an organisation that has helped local communities in Kenya deliver a better future for thousands."

St Andrew's Prize for the Environment 2009

In 2009, Excellent Development was runner-up for the St. Andrew's Prize for the Environment for our plans to support the use of sand dams across global drylands. They said:

"Excellent Development's model places sand dams within a strongly community-centred development model, which ensures the project’s longevity. With minimal maintenance, sand dams will last for over 50 years. These ingenious structures provide a year-round clean water supply at a lower cost than any other water supply solution; they dramatically improve the environment, and save people crucial time."

Charity Awards 2008

In 2008, Excellent Development was named 'Overall Winner' at the Charity Awards, and was also announced the winner in the Environment category. Daniel Phelan, Organiser of the Charity Awards 2008 said:

"Excellent Development is a fantastic example of how innovation, passion and vision can be turned into an effective project demonstrating considerable impact. The project greatly impressed the judges with how its excellent management led to a great idea being implemented across so many communities. The initiative is both sustainable and replicable and is a perfect illustration of the inspirational work that takes place within the voluntary sector."

Latest

Looking ahead to a new project in Tanzania

As Excellent looks to enable sand dam technology in new countries, we share how we have been taking steps to do so with a new partner in Tanzania.
Excellent are winners at the Charity Times Awards 2019!

We are delighted to announce that Excellent Development are winners in the category of 'Charity of the Year with an income of £1 million - £10 million' at the 2019 Charity Times Awards!
Join us on a sand dam learning visit

Excellent Development, alongside our partners the Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF), host annual learning visits in southeast Kenya.
"The future looks bright"

From water and food scarcity to lush mango and papaya farms, this community share how their climate-smart agriculture activities have transformed their lives.

Key policies

Download and read our website privacy and cookies policy, our terms and conditions, as well as Excellent's safeguarding policy.

What is a sand dam?
1 million sand dams for 0.5 billion people by 2040

Read about our plan to directly support other organisations to build sand dams, in turn, realising our vision to support millions of the world’s poorest people by helping them to transform their own lives through water and soil conservation in drylands.
Donate

Please donate what you can to transform lives with sand dams and clean water.
Zimbabwe (Partner: Dabane Trust)

Dabane Trust and Excellent are working together with rural communities in the semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe to develop simple, appropriate and sustainable water abstraction and food production systems.
Sand dam manual

For everything you need to know about building sand dams, click here to read (and download for free!), Sand Dams: A Practical & Technical Manual.
Watch how sand dams work

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands
Job opportunities
The challenge

Find out what are drylands, why they are they are such harsh regions to live, how sand dams are applicable in drylands and what difference they can make to over 40% of the world's land surface.
September 2018 sand dam expedition with Barclays Isle of Man

Barclays Isle of Man volunteers and community members share highlights from the construction of a sand dam they worked together to build in southeast Kenya in September 2018.
Sand dams keeping the water flowing in Lekurruki

11 sand dams have been built since we starting working in northern Kenya in 2015. The impact has been dramatic says Callum Sheehan, Excellent's Programmes Officer.