North Yorkshire charity Rural Arts has received ‘Most Inclusive Arts Organisation – Northern England’ at a global awards ceremony.

Acquisition International’s Non-Profit Organisation Awards looks to recognise and reward those who show a commitment to positive change, as well as striving to make a pragmatic and effective impact for those in need of their support.

Awards Coordinator Harwinder Pawar, said: "I offer a sincere congratulations to all of the well-deserved victors of our inaugural awards.

"I hope the accolade stands as a testament to your unwavering efforts and hope it sets you in good stead for the rest of 2021 and onward."

Rural Arts’ mission is to deliver inclusive and inspiring creative opportunities to enrich lives and connect communities.

Its work over the pandemic has exemplified this, including new in-person, digital and postal projects.

Keepsake was a project to bring treasurable cultural opportunities to the homes of people across all of North Yorkshire via seven unique commissions, one for each district.

#RADISH – launched days after the announcement of the first lockdown – stood for Rural Arts Daily Inspiration while Staying at Home, and provided free daily digital creativity to over 50,000 people.

North Yorkshire Together, a collaboration between Rural Arts, North Yorkshire Sport and North Yorkshire Youth, first provided digital workshops and postal packs, before delivering FEAST. FEAST is a holiday activities and food programme for young people on Free School Meals, made possible by 45 community organisations across the county.

Rural Arts CEO and Director, Max May said – “I’m so proud that our work over the past 16 months has been recognised by the Non-Profit Organisation Awards.

He added: "As we move forward, and support people to manage the long-term impact of the pandemic, we’ll continue to pursue our mission of bringing creativity to the heart of communities across North Yorkshire.”

Rural Arts is a registered charity that aims to deliver inspiring and inclusive creative opportunities that enrich lives and connect communities across the county of North Yorkshire.

To find out more about Rural Arts and their work, visit www.ruralarts.org.

To learn more about the award winners, please visit the Acquisition International website (https://www.acquisition-international.com/).