Winner Third Sector Awards - Small Charity Big Achiever 2025

Changing lives through education, enterprise and inclusion

We work with rural communities in Upper West Ghana, tackling poverty and creating opportunities

Switching on Hope

We’ve just turned on the internet for two communities – connecting Lawra and Nandom with the whole world! Wifi is now available in our Technology Zones in Lawra and Nandom, allowing local people to use the internet– for free. In districts where internet infrastructure is non-existent and mobile data costs impossibly high, this is a game-changing initiative. School pupils can learn, businesses can grow – and the whole community can thrive.

Change through education

We work with 10 schools, providing meals, educational resources and sanitary products that enable pupils to learn on full stomachs and with dignity. So far, we’ve helped more than 3600 young people access education. Olivia (above) goes to Bagri Junior High and appreciates the monthly sanitary pads provision:

“It helps us come to school. We girls are much happier.”

Change through enterprise

We have backed 140 small businesses with grants, training and mentoring, enabling them to become sustainable and profitable. 62 girls (including 9 with disabilities) have learnt a trade through our apprenticeship scheme. Barikisu (above) runs one of 29 ATE-backed dry season farms:

“ATE gave me all I needed to succeed.”

Change through inclusion

We bringing disabled children into the light, challenging stigma and enabling them to learn and laugh. Our SNAP disability project supports 750 children and carers across 8 locations, providing education, equipment, medication, advocacy and lots of joy. Tierto (above, with Julita and Charles) says:

“The main reason I love SNAP meetings is I know I am not alone. I have learnt new things, I worry much less, life has improved.”

How we work

We’ve developed a unique approach to tackling poverty, integrating our key areas of work into a dynamic model based around community hubs. It puts local people and local leadership at the heart of everything – and is driving our expansion to new rural locations.

Where does your donation go?

We are financially transparent and carefully monitor and evaluate our work to ensure the money you donate is used in the best way possible.

84p goes directly towards project costs

Creating opportunities through education, inclusion and enterprise – such as our Dry Season Farmers programme which supports sustainable agriculture all year round.

11p is spent on fundraising

Giving us the resources to pay for projects, plan for the future and provide job security for our 25 school cooks and other staff.

5p is spent on administration costs

Ensuring we can deliver our annual report, be a responsible employer and fulfil our legal responsibilities in the UK and Ghana.

Our latest posts

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We’ve won! 🏆🎉❤️

We are absolutely delighted to be named Small Charity Big Achiever at the Third Sector Awards 2025! This is truly wonderful recognition of the huge impact we make on our small budget.

Plus, our amazing Ernestina Gan was Highly Commended as an Unsung Hero - so well deserved and incredibly special.

We’re raising a glass across two continents. A huge ‘cheers’ to Action Through Enterprise, to Ernestina Gan (who will always be our Hero), to our team and our beautiful work.
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We’ve won! 🏆🎉❤️

We are absolutely delighted to be named Small Charity Big Achiever at the Third Sector Awards 2025! This is truly wonderful recognition of the huge impact we make on our small budget.

Plus, our amazing Ernestina Gan was Highly Commended as an Unsung Hero - so well deserved and incredibly special.

We’re raising a glass across two continents. A huge ‘cheers’ to Action Through Enterprise, to Ernestina Gan (who will always be our Hero), to our team and our beautiful work.Image attachmentImage attachment

Comment on Facebook

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! 🎉

Congratulations 🎊

Congratulations

Well done!!! 🤩🤩🤩

Congratulations to Us and a HUGE ONE to you Ernestina Gan-well deserved!🎊🎊🎊

Huge congratulations - well deserved ✨ and well done Ernestina Gan

This is well Deserved 👏 congratulations to everyone!

Congratulations 👏

Beyond proud of Action Through Enterprise - ATE, our incredible team and our wonderful work. Two awards is completely beyond expectation and overwhelmingly wonderful! Such fantastic recognition of our impact 💚

So pleased for you all hard work paid off. Congratulations all 👏👏

Congratulations everyone at ATE Such an achievement. Well done Sarah. So well deserved. Xx

How fantastic and so utterly well deserved xxxx

💕💕we’ll done ATE, lots of love Sarah xxx

Huge congratulations to the whole ATE team! Well deserved. So incredibly proud of you Saz ❤️

Wow that is amazing and so well deserved. And special congratulations to Ernestina who has made such a difference to so many.

Congratulations! Incredible work xxx

Amazing Sarah Annable-Gardner. I’m so happy for you and your wonderful charity. A well deserved award and well done to Ernestina x

Fantastic , whoop whoop hooray. Couldn’t be prouder, just shows hard work and dedication and a great team what you can do ❤️❤️❤️❤️😊

Wow amazing!! Huge congratulations and so well deserved xxx

Congratulations to the whole team at Action Through Enterprise - ATE and a big one for Ernestina. Well deserved 🎊

Congratulations 🎉 Action Through Enterprise - ATE and to Gan Ernestina

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Today is the awards ceremony for the Third Sector Awards where we are shortlisted in TWO categories! Whether we win or not, we are incredibly proud to get so far in the process, of this fantastic recognition and (most of all) of the outstanding work we do every day. We already feel like winners.

In the Small Charity Big Achiever award, we can’t imagine a better candidate for first place. By global standards we are a tiny organisation, but the impact we have is truly gigantic. For every disabled child we enable to thrive, every entrepreneur that can run a successful business, every school girl who can continue her studies, every farmer who can grow crops all year round – our support means everything, and it makes us so proud. We’re a small team punching well above our weight, reaching many thousands of people on a small budget, and making real, long term change.

And in the Unsung Hero category….. Ernestina Gan, we are so incredibly proud of you. From the moment you came to your interview for SNAP Coordinator back in 2018, you have been dedicated to the disabled children of Lawra. That day, you blew bubbles and laughed with the children, you were so kind to the parents, you were confident that you could make their lives better – and you have done exactly that. You have worked tirelessly, always with such passion, empathy and commitment. You have grown your skills, battled through difficult situations, spoken up when you have needed to, and been kind and calm throughout. The milestone of getting 100 disabled children into school is a miracle, and you have made it happen. You are an inspiration, and we are so lucky to have you. In our eyes, there is no better candidate for this award - you are our Hero.

We feel like winners every day. We’re bursting full of hope & ambition for our wonderful charity, and gratitude that we’re able to do what we do. Award winners or not, here’s to an exciting future of change ✨
... See MoreSee Less

Today is the awards ceremony for the Third Sector Awards where we are shortlisted in TWO categories! Whether we win or not, we are incredibly proud to get so far in the process, of this fantastic recognition and (most of all) of the outstanding work we do every day. We already feel like winners. 

In the Small Charity Big Achiever award, we can’t imagine a better candidate for first place. By global standards we are a tiny organisation, but the impact we have is truly gigantic. For every disabled child we enable to thrive, every entrepreneur that can run a successful business, every school girl who can continue her studies, every farmer who can grow crops all year round – our support means everything, and it makes us so proud. We’re a small team punching well above our weight, reaching many thousands of people on a small budget, and making real, long term change.

And in the Unsung Hero category….. Ernestina Gan, we are so incredibly proud of you. From the moment you came to your interview for SNAP Coordinator back in 2018, you have been dedicated to the disabled children of Lawra. That day, you blew bubbles and laughed with the children, you were so kind to the parents, you were confident that you could make their lives better – and you have done exactly that. You have worked tirelessly, always with such passion, empathy and commitment. You have grown your skills, battled through difficult situations, spoken up when you have needed to, and been kind and calm throughout. The milestone of getting 100 disabled children into school is a miracle, and you have made it happen. You are an inspiration, and we are so lucky to have you. In our eyes, there is no better candidate for this award - you are our Hero.

We feel like winners every day. We’re bursting full of hope & ambition for our wonderful charity, and gratitude that we’re able to do what we do. Award winners or not, here’s to an exciting future of change ✨

Comment on Facebook

Congratulations,award well deserved 🌹

Congratulations to her. Hard work really pays.

Congratulations 🎉👏

Congratulations ! Huge impact and achievement

Congratulations in advance 🎊🎉🎈

Congratulations for the opportunity. I wish you the best of luck you deserve it all.

Good luck you all deserve it. The hard work you put in is amazing 👏🏻👏🏻

Thanks so much! I'm grateful for the recognition and support.

Congratulations

So proud Action Through Enterprise - ATE. Congratulations to us for this huge recognition ❤️

Congratulations

Huge congratulations to Action Through Enterprise - ATE and Ernestina Gan on the well-deserved recognition!🎉🎉 Fingers crossed for a win 🏆

Love this 💚 So proud of Action Through Enterprise - ATE and especially our wonderful Ernestina Gan.

Congratulations 🎊

Congratulations 🎊

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Registered Charity: 1149988