The winners of the inaugural Northern Ireland Hummingbird Awards have been revealed in a landmark celebration honouring those leading the way in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) across Northern Ireland.
The prestigious awards luncheon at Belfast City Hall brought together champions of inclusivity from business, education, public service and community groups to recognise individuals and organisations driving meaningful change in creating a more inclusive society.
The highly anticipated event showcased over 40 individuals, businesses and organisations across ten award categories that celebrated outstanding contributions to EDI in workplaces and communities throughout Northern Ireland.
‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ by The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland received the Allyship Award for its pioneering advocacy, while ‘In Our Shoes’ by Voicing the Void won the Community Project Award for its transformative work in engagement and inclusion.
SSE Airtricity was named Diverse Employer of the Year, recognised for embedding diversity and inclusion at the heart of its workplace culture. The Education for All Award was presented to Tor Bank Special School Principal for championing accessible and inclusive education.
Leading the way in inclusive design, Mude Clothing secured the Innovation in Accessibility Award for its groundbreaking adaptive fashion solutions. Lauren Dempsey was honoured as Inspirational Role Model for her tireless advocacy in advancing equality.
Celebrating the power of impactful storytelling, Translink’s Life Better Connected Campaign won Best Marketing Campaign for promoting diversity through meaningful engagement. Hays Recruitment received the Supporting Neurodiverse Talent Award for championing inclusive hiring practices and workplace opportunities.
In sustainability, Fish City was named Sustainability Champion, setting a benchmark for integrating environmental responsibility with inclusivity. Finally, Dr Gift Sotonye-Frank of Queen’s University Belfast was honoured as Workplace EDI Champion, recognised for fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace culture.
Entries for the inaugural Northern Ireland Hummingbird Awards were meticulously assessed by an independent panel of leading EDI experts, each bringing a wealth of experience across law, business, public service and community engagement.
The panel was led by Head Judge Jude Copeland, Solicitor and Legal Review Manager at Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors. Joining him were Michael Boyd OBE, Director of MB Consulting and Chair of Belfast Healthy Cities; Laura Lavery, Community and Engagement Lead at PA Consulting and Co-Chair of the Working With Pride Network in Northern Ireland; and Alfie Wong MBE, Race and Ethnicity Champion of the NI Civil Service.
Jude Copeland, Head Judge and Legal Review Manager at Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors, said: “The sheer calibre of entries in this inaugural year reflects the passion, innovation and commitment that’s driving real, tangible change across workplaces, communities and industries in Northern Ireland.
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“Each winner and finalist has demonstrated remarkable leadership in fostering inclusivity, breaking down barriers and setting new standards for accessibility and opportunity in workplaces and communities.
“It has been an honour to judge such a diverse and dynamic group of individuals, businesses and organisations and I have no doubt that their efforts will inspire even greater progress in the years ahead.
“On behalf of the judging panel, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all our winners, highly commended recipients and finalists. Your contributions are not only shaping a more inclusive Northern Ireland but also paving the way for future generations.”
The Northern Ireland Hummingbird Awards are proudly supported by Ulster University, Encirc, Love Belfast, Jawbox Gin, Clearer Water, Clearer Twist, The Formula, Innovation Factory and Alexander Boyd.
2025 Northern Ireland Hummingbird Awards – Winners & Highly Commended
Allyship
Winner: Nothing About Us Without Us, Community Foundation for Northern Ireland
Highly Commended: Katie Matthews- Furphy, The Mind Tribe UK
Community Project
Winner: ‘In Our Shoes’, Voicing the Void
Highly Commended: Black Box Projects, The Black Box Trust
Diverse Employer
Winner: SSE Airtricity
Highly Commended: Northern Ireland Civil Service
Education for All
Winner: Tor Bank Special School Principal
Highly Commended: Orla McKeating, Still I Rise Diversity Storytelling
Innovation in Accessibility
Winner: Mude Clothing
Inspirational Role Model
Winner: Lauren Dempsey
Highly Commended: Jonah Atos and Anthony Sinclair
Marketing Campaign
Winner: Life Better Connected Campaign, Translink
Highly Commended: Domestic and sexual abuse does not end at home…Making work a safe place, Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Supporting Neurodiverse Talent
Winner: Hays Recruitment
Sustainability Champion
Winner: Fish City
Workplace EDI Champion
Winner: Dr Gift Sotonye-Frank, Queen’s University Belfast
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