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STRONGER TOGETHER AWARDS

Our Stronger Together Awards recognise and honour outstanding people in the muscle wasting community – from researchers and fundraisers to volunteers, carers and healthcare professionals.  

Do you know someone who deserves to be celebrated? Nominations for the Stronger Together Awards are now open. They close on Sunday 1 November 2026. 

Award categories

We will be awarding nominees in the following categories once we’ve reviewed all of your nominations: 

Neuromuscular Specialist Recognition

This award celebrates excellence in clinical care and support. 

Neuromuscular Initiative of the Year Award

This award celebrates outstanding innovative work by neuromuscular teams to improve the quality of care and health outcomes in neuromuscular care. 

Volunteer of the Year Award

This award honours a volunteer whose selfless efforts have made a huge difference to people living with a muscle wasting condition.

Fundraiser of the Year Award

This award honours the outstanding fundraising achievements of a person or a group who have gone above and beyond to raise money for the charity. 

Partnership of the Year

This award honours an outstanding partner who has had the biggest impact on the work of the charity either through fundraising, awareness raising or both. 

Community Support Champion

This award recognises someone who, through their personal insight and experience, has made an exceptional contribution by providing emotional or practical support within the community. 

Campaigner of the Year

This award celebrates someone who has shown exceptional dedication, passion, and impact in raising awareness and driving change for people living with muscle wasting conditions. Whether through advocacy, fundraising, or community engagement, this campaigner has gone above and beyond to make a difference for the community. 

Early Career Researcher of the Year Award

This award recognises rising stars in UK research. This early career researcher, who is either completing their PhD or within eight years of finishing it, is making significant strides in understanding muscle wasting conditions, exploring new treatments, or working to enhance quality of life.  

Richard Attenborough Award for Outstanding Achievement

Named after our founding President, this special award recognises someone who has made an incredible impact and lasting difference to people living with a muscle wasting condition. 

Presented in recognition of exceptional performance and dedication, the award celebrates someone who has gone above and beyond and inspires others through their commitment and activity. 

Peter and Nancy Andrews Community Achievement Award

This award celebrates a true community champion who is making a lasting and positive difference to those affected by muscle wasting conditions. They could be campaigning for change, inspiring others to take action, using their experience to raise awareness, or making a difference in their local area.  

Named in honour of the late Peter and Nancy Andrews, two exceptional supporters of the charity who were involved with Muscular Dystrophy UK from the very beginning. They started the charity’s first branch in Solihull and fundraised for more than 50 years. 

Alexander and Valerie Patrick Award recognising Carer of the Year

This award recognises an unpaid carer who has selflessly offered vital, behind-the-scenes support to someone with a muscle wasting condition, enabling them to live as independently as they choose.  

The award is named in honour of Alexander and Valerie Patrick’s lifelong commitment to and generous support of the charity. Alexander is a Honorary Life President and founder of the Joseph Patrick Trust (JPT), which gives grants to help cover the cost of powered mobility equipment. 

Making a nomination

You don't need to know the person you're nominating

For example, it could be someone you’ve read about on our website, worked with as a volunteer or seen on social media.

Don’t let the person know you've nominated them!

We want it to be a surprise. Please keep your nomination to yourself, as we will contact successful nominees directly.

You can’t nominate someone who works for Muscular Dystrophy UK or a Trustee.

These awards are designed to celebrate supporters, volunteers and members of the wider community.

Announcing the winners

Our judging panel will meet in January to discuss the nominations and the award ceremony will take place in spring 2027. The event will be hosted by our President, Sports Anchor, Podcaster and Author, Gabby Logan OBE. 

Meet the judges

Chloe Docker (chair)

Chloe chaired our new judging panel for this year’s awards. She joined our Board of Trustees in 2024 but has been involved with us as a charity since she was eight years’ old, after being diagnosed with nemaline myopathy at a young age. A powerful advocate for disability rights, Chloe has also represented Great Britain in Para Archery.

Sheila Hawkins

Sheila lives with FSHD and has been actively involved with our community for many years. Last year, she won the Richard Attenborough Award for Outstanding Achievement for being a key advocate and dedicated supporter, bringing invaluable lived experience to supporting families.

Martin Hywood

Martin wears two hats as an awards judge as he is our Partnerships and Ambassador Engagement Manager but also raises money with family and friends through his ‘Hywood’s Heroes’ Family Fund. Martin lives with limb girdle muscular dystrophy and believes in the importance of sharing experiences and raising awareness to help others.

Dr Ali Kay

As well as being Chair of our Lay Research Panel, Ali is also a keen fundraiser and has taken on a range of challenges for us to help fund research and raise awareness. She wants to make a difference for her youngest son Bertie who lives with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy, as well as everyone else living with a muscle wasting condition.

Sue Taylor

Sue’s eldest son Will was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was four. Since then, Sue and her family have thrown themselves into fundraising, including creating their own challenges. Their focus is raising money to accelerate research, but they also prioritise living for the now and ensuring Will can live his best life.

Watch the highlights of our 2025 Stronger Together Awards

Stronger Together Awards – Nomination Form

1. About you (the Nominator)

Name(Required)
(for example, family member, colleague, supporter, volunteer, staff, etc.)

2. About the person or group you're nominating

Name(Required)
(for example, person living with a condition, fundraiser, volunteer, researcher, healthcare professional, etc.)

3. Why are you nominating them?

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