GEL Studios, the purpose-led creative agency based in Swindon, has announced the three winners of its annual ‘Win a Creative Solution’ competition – an initiative designed to support local charities with high-impact creative work.
Launched in early November, the competition invited community organisations to share the creative support they most need, from websites and marketing to design and brand development.
Over the past two weeks, more than 1,600 members of the public voted to decide this year’s winners.
Each winning organisation will receive £5,000 worth of resource and the opportunity to collaborate with GEL Studios in 2026 on a tailored creative solution – whether that’s a new website, marketing support or a graphic design project.
The three winning charities chosen by the community are:
The Harbour Project: supports people seeking asylum or granted refugee status in Swindon, helping them rebuild their lives.
The Kelly Foundation: provides practical support, counselling, life coaching, advocacy and signposting for adults in Swindon experiencing mental health challenges.
Teamability: delivers interactive workshops, assemblies and CPD to promote inclusivity and disability awareness in schools and businesses.
Here’s what our winners had to say:
Claire Garrett DL, Ambassador for The Harbour Project: “This is a meaningful moment for The Harbour Project. This opportunity to work with GEL Studios to reframe The Harbour Project’s window to the world is genuinely exciting. It will help us move beyond polarising debates, drop stereotypes, and instead celebrate our work, the people we support, and their contribution to Swindon.”
Emma Rees, Chief Operating Officer at The Kelly Foundation: “This is a huge step forward for The Kelly Foundation. Our website is often the first place people turn when they’re in distress or seeking support, and this win means we can now become modern and accessible in a way that matches our life-changing work. A new website can help our clients find services faster, make our impact clearer to funders, and give supporters a better way to engage.”
Becky & Abi, Co-Founders of Teamability: “Winning a creative solution from GEL Studios is a huge step forward for Teamability. As a new Community Interest Company, we’re building a more accessible, inclusive society through school assemblies, hands-on Inclusivity Days, and team-building workshops for businesses. This support strengthens our visibility, helping us share our mission clearly and creatively, reach more partners and funders, grow our programmes, and amplify the voices we champion.”
Graeme Leighfield, Managing Director of GEL Studios, expressed his thoughts on this year’s inspiring list of winners, saying:
“The support each of the finalists has received over the past few weeks has been outstanding, and we’re excited to be partnering with The Harbour Project, The Kelly Foundation, and Teamability in 2026. Since January 2024, through our pro-bono work, donated resources, and collaborations with local charities, GEL Studios has supported more than 35 local causes – positively impacting 388,000 people across our community. As GEL Studios grows, so does the scale of impact we can have. In 2026 and beyond, we’ll be investing even more time, resources, and creativity into work that delivers real, measurable benefits for the communities we’re part of.”
