Hamelin communications lead honoured as ‘Rising Star’ at national awards

The work to transform Hamelin’s visibility and influence has been recognised at a national awards ceremony.

Hamelin’s Fundraising & Marketing Manager, Martyn Dolton, has been named ‘Rising Star’ at the 2025 Inspiring Communicator Awards (ICAs) organised by Charity Comms. The ICAs celebrate people from across the country whose services to charity communications go above and beyond.

Since joining Hamelin in September 2022, Martyn has built a new communications strategy, launched a refreshed brand and a modern, accessible website, and developed a thriving social media presence from scratch to help tell Hamelin’s story.

His work has ensured that families, supporters, and local businesses are more aware of Hamelin’s services and impact than ever before. The increased visibility has seen referrals to Hamelin’s services increase from 137 in 2021 to 725 in 2024, and fundraising income has risen from just £17,000 in 2021 to £281,000 in 2024, helping the charity reach and support far more families.

Martyn said he was ‘absolutely delighted to win.’

He said: "The shortlist was full of impressive talent, so it is a real honour to be recognised. It’s incredibly humbling to see how my work is making a difference for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. It’s a difficult climate for charities at the moment, but that just makes me more determined to keep improving our reach and impact, so we can support and make a difference for even more families and communities."

Martyn was nominated for the award by Hamelin’s Director of Income Generation and Communications, Andy Archer, who said: "I'm delighted that Martyn's significant contribution to Hamelin has been recognised by the ICAs. His efforts have been critical in improving the visibility of our mission and ensuring that the voice of the people we support is heard more loudly.

“Now, more than ever, charities need to clearly and effectively portray the need for their services and the impact that they have. We can't afford to be meek or introspective, or to work in isolation. Martyn strives to get the best results for the people we support and I'm excited to continue to work with him to push the boundaries of what care organisations can do.”

You can view Martyn’s video from the ceremony on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/QtvPIlWHpDs