Actress Barbara Windsor MBE, designer Wayne Hemingway MBE and Paralympian Martine Wright at Team London Awards recognising volunteers’ efforts to improve life in the capital
24 awards presented to London’s most philanthropic individuals, teams, schools and organisations
Team London celebrates supporting 34,000 Londoners to undertake volunteering since 2012 Games
A host of famous faces showed their support for volunteering in the capital by attending the Mayor’s annual Team London Awards held at City Hall last night, which celebrate the outstanding contribution made by Londoners to the city’s Olympic volunteering legacy.
Actress Barbara Windsor MBE, designer Wayne Hemingway MBE and Paralympian Martine Wright presented awards to winners, including:
Sharon Frankfurt, who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to volunteering at the Redbridge Dippers Swimming Club for disabled people.
21 year old Connor Russell, who alongside his university studies, has supported young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve places at university and fulfil their ambitions.
Sunnyhill Primary School, which organised a campaign to tackle hunger in the community, donating 1,400 food items to local food banks.
The Mayor pledged a volunteering legacy from the 2012 Games and Team London, his volunteering initiative, has realised this by mobilising 34,000 Londoners to undertake volunteering. Team London offers volunteering opportunities across a huge variety of projects, from providing respite to families with sick children to regenerating community green spaces, and supporting people with mental health problems to coaching the next generation of athletes.
The Mayor acknowledged the ongoing efforts of the volunteer stars of the Games with the 2014 Special Achievement Award, which he presented to Team London Ambassador Beau Fadahunsi. Beau has been an Ambassador since Team London was launched in 2011, and helped recruit and train volunteers for the Games. She has continued to volunteer with Team London, is a champion and advocate of their Young Ambassadors Schools pilot, and has helped motivate children as young as four to help make a difference in their local community.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said: “Team London volunteers are at the heart of what makes our city great, giving their time to improve lives and make the capital a better place for everyone. It makes me immensely proud to celebrate the achievements of our latest winners, who prove beyond all doubt that the volunteering legacy sparked by the 2012 Games is flourishing, with more and more opportunities for volunteers to get involved each year.”
Barbara Windsor, Team London Ambassador, said: “It""s a great privilege for me to be a part of Team London. Having met so many of the volunteers both past and present, I know how much time, energy and patience is given by all those involved. So thank you to them for supporting our wonderful city.”
Wayne Hemingway, Team London Youth Ambassador, said: “I am proud to be a Team London Youth Ambassador. We live in changing times and it is a privilege for me to be able to work with, and influence young Londoners to help build a better future for all of us.”
Martine Wright, Team London Champion, said: “I’m really proud to be a Team London Champion so that I can help raise the profile of volunteers and the vital contributions they make across the capital.”
Veronica Wadley, the Mayor’s Senior Advisor on Volunteering, said: “We are so proud of the fantastic work being done by Team London volunteers across the capital. This annual celebration allows us to give them the recognition they truly deserve. Team London is constantly expanding its volunteering opportunities, particularly in relation to getting more young people involved, helping us to inspire the next generation to continue London’s volunteering legacy.”
Full list of award categories and winners:
Greening and Cleaning
Under 25 – Sabrina Amod from Hackney – Volunteers with Urban Nature, London Youth’s environment social action programme, and helped organised summer community event Hackney 1,000.
Over 25 – Annette Magnussen from Tower Hamlets – Volunteers at Spitalfields City Farm and in a secondary school assisting pupils with special needs. Anette has volunteered over 900 hours since 2012.
Team – Hanover School Association in Islington – H.S.A has created a ‘garden for everyone’ by reclaiming a derelict unloved patch along Regent’s Canal and turning it into a thriving community space.
Centenary Award – 192 Heston Detachment Army Cadet Force from Hounslow – The cadets cleaned the war graves and memorials in a local cemetery and conducted tours for visitors.
Mentoring and Coaching
Under 25 – Connor Russell from Hackney – LSE student Connor has contributed over 100 hours mentoring young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them achieve their ambitions.
Over 25 – Aitor Fernandez from Southwark – Aitor mentors disadvantaged teenagers to fix and repair local community centres. 95 have gained the City & Guilds qualification as a result.
Team – Volunteer Supported Education in Hounslow – Volunteer tutors visit Feltham prison one day a week to provide literacy and numeracy lessons.
My Community
Under 25 – Luke Meah-Wilson from Merton – Luke has undertaken a range of volunteering in his local community at the scout group, church youth group, homeless shelter and bowls club.
Over 25 – Dr Nihara Krause from Wandsworth – Nihara is the founder and CEO of charity STEM4, which aims to increase awareness and reduce stigma of mental health conditions in teenagers.
Team – UCL Student Hospital Fun Team in Camden – The UCL team visit the paediatric wards and A&E at the UCL and Royal Free Hospital to play with and provide entertainment for children there.
Corporate Volunteering Award
Norton Rose Fulbright – A team of trainee and qualified solicitors from the International law firm volunteer one evening a week at Croydon Law Centre. They provide free specialist legal advice and assistance to over 500 individuals a year.
Sports and Healthy Living
Under 25 – Nasimaur Rahman from Islington – Nasimaur started volunteering age 15 as a Trainee Youth and Sports Worker with Pro Touch Soccer Academy. He is now Lead Coach and mentors the group three times a week.
Over 25 – Stephen Onireti from Newham – Stephen offers young men an alternative to gangs by training them in competitive sport, as well as running the U13 basketball team the Youngbloods.
Team – KEEN London in Hackney – KEEN London is the only charity in the capital providing free sports to children with special needs with one-to-one support.
Long Service Award
Individual – Julia Milsome from Ealing – Julia has volunteered for over 25 years and given around 100 hours per week volunteering for various community initiatives and charities in Ealing.
Individual – Alan Toogood from Westminster – Alan has been a listener with the Samaritans for 50 years giving over 9,000 hours of his time. He has also helped introduce the service in Holloway prison.
Individual – Sharon Frankfurt from Redbridge – Sharon has volunteered for 30 years and is chief trainer for The Redbridge Dippers Swimming Club, which is the only swimming club for disabled people in Redbridge.
Volunteer Centre Award
Individual – Nicky Gee from Barking and Dagenham – Overcoming various disabilities and physical challenges, Nicky volunteers for her local volunteer centre four days a week and is integral in delivering a project which reaches out to over 100 local elderly and normally isolated residents.
Schools Award Primary
Individual – 11 year old Frankie Benetar previously of Athelney Primary School in Lewisham – Frankie has helped involve the children in numerous volunteering initiatives, which promote inclusion in the playground and prevent loneliness.
School – Sunnyhill Primary School in Lambeth – 500 pupils worked together to help tackle hunger in their local community by organising a talent show to raise foodstuff for their local foodbank.
Schools Award Secondary
Individual – Emma Halahan from Jo Richardson Community School in Barking and Dagenham – Pupil Emma has set up a peer-to-peer mentoring service with a 94 per cent success rate. She provides training for staff and peers and has mentored 12 students to deliver mediation across the school.
School – Haverstock School in Camden – the school has a comprehensive intergenerational and global volunteering programme involving all students and has become a central part of the local community.
Mayor’s Special Achievement Award
Individual – Beau Fadahunsi from Sutton – Beau was a Team London location manager at Wimbledon in 2012, took part in the winter 2013 programme and this year led a team at the Gatwick Airport pod as well as working closely with schools in Merton to get pupils involved in volunteering.
Daily Telegraph Reader’s Award for Volunteer of the Year 2014
Individual – Elizabeth Ewart – The mother of two decided she wanted to give back to her community after an illness; she volunteers as a reading assistant at a local school, visits an old people’s home with her dog, as well as volunteering with the Samaritans and a charity for troubled young people.