Islington Volunteer of the Year Awards 2017
PRESS RELEASE
Islington Volunteer of the Year Awards 2017
Wednesday 1st November 2017
Islington’s Volunteer of the Year 2017 is Mathew Smith, who has dedicated five years to volunteering with Family Action’s mentoring service, Friendship Works. Through his consistent friendship, support and encouragement, Mat has made a huge difference to a young person he mentored, helping him grow from a shy, withdrawn eleven year old boy into a confident fourteen year old.
Guljabeen Rahman, Chief Executive of Voluntary Action Islington said:
“We are proud to showcase, through the Volunteer of the Year Awards, the powerful impact that volunteers have in their communities. As ever, we were incredibly moved by the stories behind the nominations this year and this event enabled us to thank volunteers for their time, commitment and compassion.”
The Volunteer of the Year Awards were sponsored by Doubletree by Hilton and Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill. They were presented by the Mayor of Islington, Cllr Una O’Halloran at the Voluntary Action Islington AGM.
The full list of winners is:
| Winner | Category | Organisation volunteered for |
| Ashli Flemming | Young Volunteer of the Year 16-25 | Mary’s Youth Club |
| Mathew Smith | Volunteer of the Year 26-60 | Friendship Works at Family Action |
| Willie Donnelly | Older Volunteer of the Year 60+ | ScotsCare |
| Sandra Davis | Pat Haynes Memorial Trustee of the Year | York Way Estate Community Centre |
| Latin American Women’s Rights Service | Volunteering Team of the Year | LAWRS |
| Laura McCarthy Cronin | Employee Volunteer of the Year | Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation |
Notes to editors:
1.Voluntary Action Islington supports social action locally. It is the membership organisation for voluntary organisations in Islington is accredited Volunteer Centre for the borough up to 2018.
Further information about the winners can be found at https://vai.org.uk/volunteers-of-the-year-2017/
Contact:
Marta Aparicio, Information and Communication Officer, Voluntary Action Islington
marta.aparicio@vai.org.uk : 020 7832 580
