The Sense Awards 2012 took place on Thursday 4 October in London. Designer and TV personality Linda Barker presented the awards to the lucky winners.

The winners

Young Deafblind Person of the Year - Jack Hodgson

Jack Hodgson (15) from Gainsborough has Usher syndrome, a rare genetic condition that means he was born profoundly deaf and is losing his sight as he gets older. Jack won for being an inspirational sporting figure and showing what deafblind people can achieve. Despite having just ten degrees of remaining vision, Jack is a national judo champion, ranking 3rd in the country against able-bodied competitors and winning a Commonwealth gold medal earlier in the year. A torchbearer for the Olympics rally, Jack is a committed young ambassador for Sense.
Runners up: Shane Roberts, Christopher Bennet

Deafblind Person of the Year - Joe Coffin

Joe Coffin from Birmingham was named Deafblind Person of the Year.  Joe who was born partially deaf, had an infection in his 30s which left him severely visually impaired. He first moved into a Birmingham residential care home in 2003, and last year moved into his own flat with support from Sense. Joe won because of his volunteer work since 2009 at the local Sense office where he helps out on reception and with other administrative tasks. 
Runners up: Eric Griffiths, Leila Touak

Volunteer of the Year - Penny Davies

St Austell’s Penny Davies won for her volunteering work for the past two and a half years with the Cornwall-based 'Get Out There' Group (GOT). Penny volunteers by supporting teens with dual sensory impairments to participate in a range of fun social activities at weekends and during school holidays.  Penny herself has been registered blind for five years, and this has never restricted her from participating in any of the GOT Group activities, including flying in small aircraft, rollercoaster riding, surfing in the Atlantic ocean and sailing on tall ships.
Runner up: Geoffrey Nicholson

Team of the Year - Sense Senior College management team

Sense College comprising seven different resource centres across seven locations won following a dedicated year of excellent educational performances throughout the college.  The seven centres form an independent specialist college for young people and adults who have sensory impairments. Students learn a range of skills including communication and lifestyle skills and have access to adapted facilities including arts and crafts, cookery and technology facilities.
Runners up: Horton Street staff team, The Garden Room resource team

Employee of the Year - Jon Fearn

Jon Fearn, from Bearwood, won because of his commitment to supporting almost 100 deafblind adults with associated disabilities in the Birmingham area to get out and about and experience sport and leisure activities that other people take for granted including sailing, swimming, ice-skating and rock climbing. 
Runners up: Linda Gaskell, Laura Bennett

Exceptional Contribution - Simon Shaw

Simon Shaw, from London, won because of his spearheading role in a coalition of over 50 disability charities from October 2010 to March 2012. As part of this work he jointly led a successful campaign to stop the Government cutting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people living in residential care.  While managing Sense’s relations with the country’s politicians, Simon also worked to ensure key decision makers understood the impact of deafblindness and supported many deafblind people to meet their MPs and raise their concerns personally. 
Runner up: Sue Turner

Local Partnership and Community - Creation Climbing Centre

The Creation Climbing Centre won Sense’s Local Partnership and Community award because they encourage deafblind people to try climbing and other activities they wouldn’t usually get the chance to do. Up to 35 deafblind people from Sense residential services around Birmingham use the Centre’s facilities every week.
Runner up: Swindon Karting

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Judge's Award for Unique Contribution

The Audit Awards

• Church Street, a Sense residential service in Lincolnshire, for providing support to an excellent standard.
• Edenvale Avenue, a Sense residential service in Northern Ireland, for continuous improvement in service provision.

Innovation

About the awards

Our Sense Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of deafblind people and those who support them.

Through the years, the awards have highlighted those who have contributed to:

• new initiatives
• awareness-raising campaigns
• Sense fundraising challenges
• hours of time given, or projects undertaken, to help deafblind adults and children
• service excellence

All of the nominees each year are special people who go the extra mile to support an individual or who give our work an extra boost.

Previously...

Sense Awards 2011

Last year the awards were presented at a ceremony in London's Sadler's Wells Theatre in October, and hosted by director, choreographer and TV personality, Arlene Phillips.