

CATZERO staff are extremely proud to announce that the winner of the Trustee Award at HEY Smile Foundation’s Time2Volunteer Awards 2023 is our very own Charles Lewis!
CatZero CEO, Dave Bertholini, commented: “Charles retired from CatZero’s board of trustees in 2022, after 14 years with us, but remains a staunch supporter of our work, also attending our recent 15th anniversary event in Hull. His amazing commitment and support since we began in 2009 has enabled CatZero to be developed into the organisation it is today, nationally recognised for best practise, for its work with children, young people, and families.
“This is a well-deserved award, and we all send congratulations to Charles on his win!”
The event was held at DoubleTree, by Hilton Hull, on Thursday 5 October, delivered alongside Hey Smile partners Hull CVS, Nisa Retail’s charity Making a Difference Locally (MADL), East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council. The even recognises the work of volunteers across Hull, East Riding, and North and North East Lincolnshire.
As we most charities, volunteers are an important part of CatZero. There are currently 30 active volunteers, including the board of trustees and those on the sailing team, which are an integral part of the organisation.
Danny Watson, Director of Sailing at CatZero, said: “When we sail, we have two professional members of the team, including the skipper and a first mate, two volunteer watch leaders, and an assistant watch leader. We offer the sixth birth as a familiarisation birth for new volunteers.
“There are up to four volunteers on each voyage, and we genuinely couldn’t run the boat without them. Volunteers also help during the winter months, when the boat isn’t in use, and they have been involved in some major replacement works over the years.
“I am incredibly grateful for volunteers giving up their time for CatZero to do the vital work that we do, helping children and young people make positive changes. They also help to bring in funds through taster sails and fundraisers, and their work on the board of trustees ensures we are all going in the right direction!
“Well done to Charles for winning his award – it is much deserved, and we all wish him the very best for his retirement.”
Find out more about volunteers at CatZero here: https://catzero.org/about-us/#volunteer