Happy New Year!

2010 was a year of outstanding achievements for Ashden Award winners. As the new year begins, we take inspiration from some of last year's successes.

February 2010. The winter starts to thaw out with the news that Trees Water & People has won that prestigious prize – the UNEP Sasakawa prize.

As spring begins, the office receives the news that Zara Solar has won the Lighting Rural Tanzania competition. Meanwhile, GERES sells its one millionth stove and the Gaia Association is nominated for a World Bioenergy Award.

Summer. After the bustling of awards week in London, we hear that Stuart Conway, Co-founder of Trees, Water & People, wins the Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service.

As autumn begins, Global Action Plan is highly commended for its charity partnership with Sky by the Charity Times Awards, and, we find out that d.light's solar lantern is being used to exemplify the 100th object as part of the BBC series 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'. Mid-autumn, more impressive news from our winners: Architype scoops the RIBA Sorrel Foundation Schools Award for St Luke’s School.

As the season draws to an end, the Green Apple Awards take place recognising the work of ERTC and its cookstoves and Global Action Plan for environmental best practice. And by October, d.light's solar lanterns are reaching 2 million lives. At the Energy Institute Awards AIDFI and Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha are recognised alongside Ringmer Community College. Meanwhile, in Scotland, the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust is shortlisted for the Spirit of Scotland Award.

Finally, it's winter again, and, after months of hard work to secure support, AIDFI wins BBC World Challenge. And, just in, we've learnt that BIOTECH has won the Kerala State Energy Conservation award 2010 for best performance.

What a year 2010 was! We're confident that 2011 will be just as inspiring.

Happy New Year!