Charities from across the county were recognised last night at the finals of the Kent Charity Awards, with Children and Families picking up the top prize of being named the Kent Charity of the Year.

Held at the home of Gillingham Football Club, Priestfield Stadium, the evening marked the fourth year for the awards.

The Big Cat Sanctuary was also recognised as Outstanding Contribution to Kent winners, whilst Kerry Millett of Broadstairs Town Team and Diana Hill from Victim Support were named Trustee and Volunteer of the Year respectively.

Children and Families received a trophy and £1,000 prize as the overall winners, which will help the Kent and Swale charity continue in providing for children and families in the areas.

The children's charity, which works in the Sheerness, Sittingbourne and Faversham areas was also in the Community Charity of the Year category, along with rough sleepers charity Catching Lives and category winners, community charity Safer Kent, whic funds and supports local projects to reduce crime and improve community safety.

Runners-up from the Trustee of the Year category were Colin Thacker of YouCan Youth Cancer Support and Debbie McSwiney, founding member of Holding On Letting Go.

YouCan Youth Cancer Support was also a runner-up in the Supporting Charity category, alongside Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service and charity for disabled young people, Space 2 Be Me - all three of which finished behind Christian charity and residential care-giver Crossways Community, which won the category.

Holding On Letting Go, which helps children cope with grief and loss, also finished runner-up in the Children's Charity of the Year category, with Dandelion Time, which works with traumatised children, and Beanstalk, which helps children learn to read, finishing behind category winners We Are Beams, which support learning, sensory or physically impaired young people in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley.

Dandelion Time volunteer for 15 years, Caroline Williams Jessel, was also a runner-up in the Volunteer of the Year category, as well as Wendy Daws BEM, from the Kent Association for the Blind.

WATCH: Children and Families' Jim Duncan speaks about the charity's win.

"We're totally gobsmacked - it's amazing to win Kent Charity of the Year" - Jim Duncan, CEO of Children and Families

Ellenor's, which provides personalised care for all ages, was the Care Charity of the Year, being named over The Kent Autistic Trust and East Kent's Pilgrims Hospice, which provides end-of-life support for those with life-limiting illness.

Outstanding Contribution winner The Big Cat Sanctuary was also a contender for Animal Charity of the Year, alongside National Search and Rescue Dog Association Kent which trains rescue and support dogs and category winners Second Chance Animal Rescue, which rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes animals that have been abandoned or neglected.

Medway, Maidstone and Swale children and young people's charity The Family Trust was named Voluntary Charity of the Year ahead of Broadstairs Town Team’s, Town Shed which aims to tackle loneliness and isolation, Compaid, which helps disabled people benefit from technology and The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, which honours the memory of the heroes that fought in the Battle of Britain.

Organisers Sarah MacDonald and Jo Hage set the awards up four years ago.

Sarah said: "We set the awards up to recognise the hard work that charities, volunteers and trustees in the third sector do in Kent."

Jo added: "There wasn't anything like this, recognising all of the work charities do - we felt there was a real gap.

"We've both been involved in charities ourselves, and can see the huge benefit they give.

"For us to be able to set this up so they can be rewarded and recognised, and just have an amazing evening celebrating their achievements - it's very important to us."

The awards evening was hosted by ITV Meridian’s presenter, Amanda Piper, and was made possible by its sponsors: Kreston Reeves, Furley Page, MidKent College, Southern Water, CAF Bank, Kent County Council, Medway Council, CC Works, Kent Community Foundation, Diggerland, Southeastern and The Kent Messenger Group. The awards evening was sponsored by Arriva.