UK: The Observer Ethical Awards 2011

The Observer Ethical Awards honour the work of those who champion environmental and social justice, and recognise organisations, individuals and young people. This year's award ceremony took place in London on 9 June 2011. Ecover was once again the headline sponsor for the event.

In addition, Ecover also provides a £ 6,000 bursary to the winner of the Ecover Ethical Kids award. Savvy B.O.B Box (see picture to the left), a group of year 8 pupils from Merseyside, won the kids award for making, selling and distributing unique bat or bird boxes within the local community. World-renowned scientist James Lovelock received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr Lovelock, the originator of the Gaia hypothesis, was recognised for pioneering a model that now forms the basis of climate science. (Picture below: Colin Firth - actor, judge and long-time supporter of the awards)

The other Observer Ethical Awards winners are:

Fashion and Accessories (sponsored by Vogue.com): Pachacuti – The Derbyshire based hat brand that has masterminded a return of authentic panamas to everywhere from the Chelsea Flower Show to Net A Porter. The first company in the world to be accredited by the World Fair Trade Organisation, Pachacuti connects the fashionista to the Panama weavers of Ecuador.
 
Big Idea (sponsored by National Grid): Pavegen – a British engineering company using wasted kinetic energy from footsteps turning it into electricity, and giving renewable energy a new spring in its step.
 
Grassroots (sponsored by Timberland): The Bristol Bike Project - a social enterprise with a big reach and big mission. It removes all barriers to getting on a bike and accessing skills and training.
 
Business (sponsored by Jupiter Asset Management): The Co-operative Group - a member-owned and UK-based family of businesses that has put ethical practises at the heart of the business model and continues to push the boundaries.
 
Conservation: Thameside Nature Park - a landfill site on the Thames that will be transformed via an ambitious and far reaching project into a living landscape for wildlife and people.
 
Blog: Shirahime – the first Observer Ethical Blog Award goes to a well curated blog that both informs and stirs up debate around the fashion industry.
 
Reader voted winners:
 
Local Retailer: The People’s Supermarket set up by Arthur Potts Dawson - a sustainable food cooperative in the heart of London and provides healthy, local food at reasonable prices.
 
Online Retailer: Riverford Organic Vegetables - a service that deliver around 47,000 boxes of vegetables and other produce in the UK every week.
 
Campaigner (sponsored by B&Q): Compassion in World Farming - an organisation that campaigns peacefully to end all cruel factory farming practices.
 
Global Campaigner: Greg Valerio – after a decade of campaigning the jewellery industry maverick with the Fairtrade Foundation bought the world’s first Fairtrade, Fairmined Ecologically certified gold to market and to the Oscars.
 
Videos from the ceremony as well as futher information on the awards is available here