Charity of the Year 2025

HIOWAA provides critical, life-saving medical care to people across the region, ensuring rapid response to emergencies and trauma incidents. Their highly skilled team reaches patients quickly, especially in remote or challenging locations, where conventional emergency services may struggle. This service not only saves lives but also offers peace of mind to residents and visitors, knowing help is close at hand. The charity relies on community support and donations to continue its vital work, making it an essential pillar of regional emergency healthcare.

Wessex Cancer Support is a regional, community-focused charity, offering support for people with all types and all stages of cancer. They offer free emotional and practical support to individuals affected by cancer, including patients, their families, and carers. Services include professional counselling, complementary therapies, support groups, and wellbeing activities, all provided in a non-clinical and welcoming environment. The charity’s ‘Daisy Bus’, currently offers a transport service for Islanders receiving treatment in Southampton, running a service between Red Funnel’s Hi-Speed / Red Jet terminal in Town Quay and Southampton General Hospital. The charity also runs a shop in Freshwater.

The Wight Brainy Bunch provides emotional support and financial assistance to IOW families affected by brain tumours by funding services such as travel for appointments and treatment, counselling, access to grants to assist towards loss of earnings, specialist equipment, physiotherapy, aid mobility, cognitive therapy, aid rehabilitation, and therapeutic acupuncture. In addition, the charity helps organise short breaks and memory-making experiences for those with a terminal diagnosis, and assists families during treatment, including those experiencing bereavement.