Mark North, CEO and Founder of the Freedom Project, was presented an award for being the ‘MP’s Choice Constituency Champion of the Year’
On Monday (25 March 2024) at an event in the Speaker’s State Room in the Houses of Parliament, Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher was honoured to announce that the winner of the UK Parliament’s Constituency Champion of the Year award was Mark North, CEO and Founder of the Freedom Project.
The Freedom Project is a Bolsover-based charity, originally called the Bolsover Methodist Church Fund, which supports residents by helping the vulnerable and ensuring everyone has the ability to thrive in their community. It does this by offering services including free advice on benefits, debt and housing, mental health support, foodbank services, and organising family trips.
The Constituency Champion of the Year award, part of UK Parliament Week, was open for all Members of Parliament to nominate an individual or organisation that makes a positive difference to the local community and beyond. All Members of Parliament had the opportunity to vote for the winner of this award, with Mark North’s Freedom Project being selected.
During the award ceremony, Mark Fletcher MP said:
“The Freedom Project is a charity which I am phenomenally proud to have in my constituency. As Members of Parliament, we often work on a macro basis and there is only so much time we can be in the constituency. Bolsover is quite a poor area and there are many social problems and as much as I try from here to improve the area, there are organisations and people on the ground who do phenomenal work day in and day out.
Mark North and the Freedom Project are at the forefront of this. Mark North has become an amazing friend and he is one of the most inspirational, caring and entrepreneurial men I have ever met. I am incredibly proud of him and it is my pleasure to introduce the MP’s Choice Constituency Champion of the Year Award to Mark North and the Freedom Project.”
Mark North received a trophy celebrating his achievements, as well as certificates which he can use to award other local residents for their charitable work.
Speaking after the event, Mark North said:
“I would like to thank Mark for nominating me for an award. It is an honour to have received the MP’s Choice Constituency Champion of the Year award. To have been nominated alongside some great people and organisations was amazing on its own. But to be the winner is really special, knowing that MPs across the house see the importance of the vital work we do.
The day was incredible. Meeting Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the house, and wonderful people from other organisations was amazing. This award isn’t just for me, but for the volunteers and my amazing staff team who also give their all in supporting those in need.”
The runners-up for the award were Spark UK, a youth mental health charity based in North Devon, and Brighter Grays, a support group for bereaved children based in West Yorkshire.
If you know a local charity based in the Bolsover constituency and want to share the work it does, Mark Fletcher MP would like to learn more. You can contact Mark via email at [email protected] or in writing to Mark Fletcher MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
