A queer nightlife collective, a politician, and a community charity were among those honoured at a recent awards ceremony championing diversity and inclusion in Jersey.
The DIFERA Awards took place at the Jersey Arts Centre last week, hosted by equality charity Liberate.
The event brought together around 200 attendees to celebrate individuals and organisations working to promote inclusion, fairness and respect across the island.
The ceremony was presented by Liberate chief executive Kaye Nicholson, alongside Russell Nel and Sam Pearce.
The DIFERA Awards featured performances from Jamie-Lee Douglas as Peachy Keen, cabaret star Dr Adam Perchard, and Jersey’s LGBTQ+ choir led by Esther Rose Parkes.
Ms Nicholson described the event as an important opportunity to highlight work that often goes unseen.
“We are grateful to our panel of independent judges who took time to carefully consider all nominations and inform Liberate of the winners they wished the awards to go to for each of the six categories, as well as our fantastic performers who made the event a joyous and celebratory event,” she said.
“There was a fantastic atmosphere in the auditorium, with around 200 people in attendance, all supporting the nominees, their work and the communities they represent.
“Many people commented afterwards how uplifted they felt and how valuable it is to hear about inclusion work happening in Jersey, which often goes under the radar.”
Among those recognised was queer collective Divine Creatures, which creates nightclub spaces for LGBTQ+ islanders and allies.
The collective was named as Grassroots Initiative of the Year, with organisers highlighting the role of the community in its success.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Liberate Jersey and to everyone who nominated us for Grassroots Initiative of the Year 2025,” the team said.
“Divine Creatures wouldn’t exist without the community it serves, so we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supports and shows up to our events.
“Together, we continue to build queer community and resistance on the dancefloor.”
Backbench politician Deputy Louise Doublet was named Leader of the Year for her work on children and civil status legislation.
“I feel extremely grateful to be recognised by the independent judging panel for the many years of work I have done to realise the Children and Civil Status legislation, which recognises modern family structures, including LGBTQ+ families, step-families and those who access fertility treatments,” she said.
“Leadership, for me, has always been about quiet hard work, taking an intelligent, evidence-based approach, and being tenacious in advocating for the rights of those who are vulnerable or marginalised.”
The Ally of the Year Award, sponsored by Saltgate, was presented to Alice and Richard Nunn of The Salvation Army.
“We are deeply honoured to be chosen as Ally of the Year,” they said.
“At The Salvation Army, we are passionate that every human being is shown love, dignity and respect, and we seek to serve the island every day without discrimination, where people are included and a valued part of the community.
“We want to thank our Church, staff and volunteers – who work alongside us, and put these values into action every day.”
Tiny Seeds was named Charitable Organisation of the Year, with founder Chloé Fosse saying the award reflected both the team’s efforts and the community it supports.
“This recognition reflects the hard work of our small team and the strength and resilience of the community we support, who inspire us every day to keep going,” she said.
“Tiny Seeds exists to break down barriers to building a family and to advocate for fairer, more inclusive access to fertility services and funding.
“While we’ve seen real progress over the past year, there is still more to be done, and we remain committed to a future where everyone has an equal opportunity to start a family.”
Other winners included Sam Pearce, who received the Inspirational Person of the Year award, and Róisín Pitman, who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.