Sara Smith, Head of Operations for The Naval Children’s Charity, has been recognised for her outstanding work by a prestigious Awards in London. The Association of Charitable Organisations held their Annual Awards ceremony at BMA House in London on Thursday 18 September.
The Awards are sponsored by Family Fund Business Services and shine a spotlight on the creativity, compassion, and innovation across our community. From small volunteer-run organisations to national charities, from inspiring campaigns to pioneering collaborations, this year’s winners demonstrate the powerful impact our sector is making to support people through crisis. ACO Annual Awards 2025 – Winners Announced – The Association of Charitable Organisations
Shortlisted in three categories:
• Charity of the Year
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Frankie Stride
• Charity Lead of the Year – Sara Smith
The judge’s said:
“Sara shows that leadership exists at every level. As Head of Operations at the Naval Children’s Charity, she has made a lasting difference, earning admiration from colleagues, clients and becoming a true role model.”
The nomination came from the CEO of The Naval Children’s Charity who said:
“Sara joined us as a caseworker and has grown and developed into an outstanding leader. In her role as Head of Operations she oversees our direct frontline caseworking team, bringing compassion and strength to supporting them in their work. She refines our guidelines continuously to ensure that we are at the forefront of delivery in response to need. She is also our HR lead, which in a small charity can be challenging. She manages this with grace and a light but firm touch, often navigating tricky employment issues. She has really developed in the past couple of years, has been on a couple of significant leadership courses and ensured her continual professional development is constant and appropriate. As CEO I cannot praise her enough. It can be a challenging and lonely place as CEO and to have such a strong and supportive member of my small Senior Leadership Team has been invaluable.
“As the wife and mother of serving Royal Navy personnel she brings her own lived experience to the empathy and understanding she shows to our beneficiaries, staff and external organisations and colleagues. She is highly respected and her input is valued across the sector. She is destined for great things.”
“The Naval Children’s Charity has been helping the children of serving and veteran Naval personnel for 200 years. The Princess Royal’s patronage is a great endorsement of our work helping to make a lasting difference to our children and young people’s lives.”
To donate or find out more about the charity please visit their website: https://www.navalchildrenscharity.org.uk
