Last night’s gala dinner and awards show at London’s Victory Services Club celebrated the winners of the 2012 Corporate Engagement Awards.

The event, hosted by the BBC’s arts editor, Will Gompertz, saw 11 different partnerships take home gold awards. The grand prix award went to Volunteer It Yourself, a programme that joined Wickes and Pimlico Plumbers with out-of-school teens to engage them in trade apprenticeships and community service (pictured).

The 15 categories covered the best in corporate sponsorship and philanthropy and was judged by a panel of experts in the area. This year’s Awards featured an increase of entries by almost half. Andrew Thomas, publisher of Communicate, says the standard was also raised.

“Maybe it was the start of the Olympics effect, but companies seemed much more articulate in stating their corporate sponsorship objectives and defining it in terms of brand and reputation,” he says. “All shortlisted companies have demonstrated a clear desire to fulfill their social contract; those that won have excelled. We congratulate them all."

Fourteen gold awards were distributed in 15 categories with projects developed by Lansons Communications and What Car? winning gold twice.

Award Winners

Best arts-centred corporate sponsorship activity

Gold: Lansons Communications sponsorship of HighTide Festival Theatre

Silver: BT Art Boxes in association with ChildLine

Bronze: Sharwood’s sponsorship of Traders Unpacked Festival at Royal Museums Greenwich

Best charity-centred corporate sponsorship activity

Gold: LV= partnership with The Lord’s Taverners and SOS Kit Aid

Silver: TelecityGroup and multiple charities

Best sports-centred corporate sponsorship activity 

Gold: The Hitz Programme – partnership between Premiership Rugby, Metropolitan Police, Active Communities Network, Wooden Spoon, The Mayor’s Office, RFU and the RFF (Glasshouse Partnership)

Silver: The G4S 4teen Programme (FastTrack Agency)

Bronze: Future Flames – Coca-Cola sponsorship of the Olympic Movement (Blue Rubicon)

Best corporate sponsorship to help raise brand awareness

Gold: Launching Ericsson Money to Filipino Community – Ericsson Money sponsorship of Barrio Fiesta sa London (Threepipe)

Silver: FedEx delivers Panda-monium – FedEx Express sponsorship of the Edinburgh Zoo Pandas (Ketchum Pleon)

Best corporate sponsorship for employee engagement

Gold: BT sponsorship of Sport Relief

Silver: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Charitable Trust partnership with Alliance Boots

Bronze: The Solidarity Holidays partnership with ArcelorMittal

Best relationship-building sponsorship programme

Gold: What Car? Awards sponsorship programme with Slingshot Sponsorship

Best corporate sponsorship to help align an organisation with brand values

Silver: ING sponsorship of Risks and Rewards initiative

Bronze: British Gas sponsorship of the British Gas Energy Trust

Best community involvement in a sponsorship activity

Gold: Volunteer It Yourself – partnership between Wickes, A4e, Pimlico Plumbers, London Youth and vinspired (The Co-Sponsorship Agency) 

Silver: ING sponsorship of Risks and Rewards initiative

Bronze:  Barclays Cycle Hire 

Best ongoing corporate sponsorship programme

Gold: The G4S 4teen Programme (Fast Track)

Silver:  British Gas sponsorship of the British Gas Energy Trust

Silver:  TelecityGroup and multiple charities

Best partnership between sponsoring company and sponsored organisation

Gold: Lansons Communications sponsorship of HighTide Festival Theatre

Silver:  Three Trees – partnership between Velvet and Amata

Bronze:  Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon – Kiln Group sponsorship of Street Child of Sierra Leone (Brandex Group)

Best pro-bono work for a charitable/social/ethical cause

Gold: The launch of the 30% Club (MHP Communications & BNY Mellon)

Silver: Beat The Mozzy - Cartoon Network partnership with Malaria No More UK

Bronze:  WPP and multiple charities 

Best communication of corporate sponsorship activity

Gold: Holiday Inn sponsorship of London 2012 (Hill+Knowlton & IMG)

Bronze: Three Trees – partnership between Velvet and Amata

Best execution of corporate sponsorship activity

Gold: What Car? Awards sponsorship programme with Slingshot Sponsorship

Silver:  Barclays Cycle Hire

Bronze:  Aviva & Railway Children

Bronze:  Future Flames - Coca-Cola sponsorship of the Olympic Movement (Blue Rubicon)

Most effective long-term philanthropic scheme 

Gold: Banking on Change – partnership between Barclays, Plan and CARE International UK

Silver:  Three Trees – partnership between Velvet and Amata

Bronze:  TelecityGroup and multiple charities

Best collaborative approach

Gold: Volunteer It Yourself – partnership between Wickes, A4e, Pimlico Plumbers, London Youth and vinspired (The Co-Sponsorship Agency) 

Silver:  Three Trees – partnership between Velvet and Amata

Bronze:  What Car? Awards sponsorship programme with Slingshot Sponsorship

Volunteer It Yourself – partnership between Wickes, A4e, Pimlico Plumbers, London Youth and vinspired (The Co-Sponsorship Agency)