Volunteers of the Year 2024
This year’s awards, kindly sponsored once again by DoubleTree by Hilton Angel Kings Cross and introduced by HW the Mayor of Islington, Cllr. Anjna Khurana, took at London Metropolitan University’s Great Hall on the evening of November 6th.
Please enjoy this year’s introductory video here: Islington Volunteer of the Year Awards 2024
Older Volunteer of the Year 60+:
Winner: Carolyn Baker, Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants
Carolyn Baker volunteers for the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants, where she has lent her patience, empathy, and fluent French to the Centre’s Support Service, helping those who were struggling to express themselves to access the help they needed.
In the face of the role’s many challenges, Carolyn always manages to strike the right tone with clients to let them to feel at ease and understood. Able to communicate difficult and complex information with patience and kindness, Carolyn has continually gone the extra mile for clients to make sure they receive the support they need while helping them feel at ease. Often the last volunteer to leave each day, and one personally requested by clients, Carolyn brings not only joy and laughter but also grit and determination to ensure her clients have every chance to build happy and healthy lives in Islington.
Highly Commended: Vera Macario, Metropolitan Police Service
Vera Macario Olivo’s 15 years as a Metropolitan Police volunteer sprang from her passion for helping communities, and a firm belief in working together with the police as they strive to deliver an inclusive service to all. After 10 years as a volunteer police cadet leader, where she empowered and inspired cadets, she attained a degree in Criminology and Law in 2024, and is now pursuing a Master’s degree on women and children who are victims of domestic abuse – another area she volunteers in, with the Hestia Charity for domestic abuse still living with abusers. An active member of the Brazilian community, Vera works hard to increase trust in policing.
Highly Commended: Felicity Hart, Finsbury and Clerkenwell Volunteers DORCAS
Felicity has been a volunteer with FCV DORCAS for over 30 years, working tirelessly to keep their Seniors Lunch Club running every Monday and Friday despite many challenges over the years with transport, staffing, and various other major and minor crises. A lifeline to many older members with no other close friends or family, Felicity shows her genuine care by working several hours in her own time and over holidays calling and visiting the older, isolated members, at home or in hospital, to chat and make sure everyone is ok.
Commended: John Thomlinson, The Canal and River Trust
John Thomlinson’s commitment to improving the Borough of Islington through his environmental stewardship has been particularly noteworthy. His care for the canals has led to cleaner, well-maintained waterways that are free of litter, enhancing the beauty and health of the local environment. His efforts have created a more inviting space for residents and visitors alike, and his work has played a crucial role in fostering community pride and environmental responsibility in Islington. Embodying the value the Trust strives to uphold, his contributions have made a lasting impact on not just the Trust and the team working there, but also the broader community.
Commended: Keith Macfarlane, Whittington Park Community Association
Keith Macfarlane is a steady and comforting presence in the Whittington Park community, lending a hand to deliver hot meals, hands out leaflets, tend to the community garden, and shares kind words and gentle humour with other volunteers and those in need, who in turn have come to treasure his warm company as much as his dedicated contributions. With patience and empathy, he has helped facilitate real change in his community and has become an indispensable part of the Association.
Commended: Colin Bulbrook, Marie Curie
Colin Bulbrook has proven himself an outstanding Companion Volunteer through his contributions to Marie Curie alongside his work volunteering at the Royal Free Hospital. As a former nurse, Colin brings knowledge and experience but also a friendly smile to everything he does. Colin has over the last year personally supported an individual at end-of-life within Islington: someone whose situation is very complex, but approached by Colin with unwavering enthusiasm, empathy and patience, as well as a keen drive to pay precise attention to their needs, wants, preferences, and sources of joy.
Volunteering Team of the Year:
Winner: Latin American Women’s Aid’s Volunteering Team
LAWA volunteers are women from the global majority who put their experience, knowledge and skills at the service of migrant women survivors of domestic violence. This team of volunteers are involved in the areas of casework, administration, community engagement, policy and research, and counselling, and their work is critical to achieving the organisation’s goal of providing minoritised women with everything they need to recover from abuse and live empowered lives.
With over 2500 hours volunteered between January and September 2024, and services provided in Spanish, Portuguese and English, LAWA volunteers have significantly helped women seeking advice on family issues, employment, education, access to benefits, advocacy needs, housing needs, contact with social services, reporting to the police, and other things a migrant woman may need, and above all, women fleeing violence and seeking resources and help to leave their abusive environments and build a new life.
Highly Commended: Old Street WeSwim Team
The volunteers team at Old Street WeSwim have done exceptional work supporting disabled people of the borough to swim and learn to swim in a safe, supportive environment; giving them freedom of movement, an opportunity to be active, improved mental health, and social connectedness. They support a variety of disabled people, including stroke survivors, and those with quadriplegia, autism, mobility issues, or learning disabilities. They treat everyone at their multigenerational, multicultural, multi-ability club with respect and dignity, so they feel welcome and can get the most out of their session, whether swimming laps, working on technique, or simply swimming for the first time.
Highly Commended: London Friend’s Antidote and Counselling Teams
Both London Friend’s LGBT counselling team and LGBT drug and alcohol support service Antidote have put in incredible work this past year that demands recognition. Antidote plays a pivotal role in providing crucial support to LGBT individuals grappling with drug and alcohol issues. By adopting a non-judgmental, harm-reductive, and inclusive approach, Antidote empowers individuals to seek support without fear of stigma or discrimination, helping them address their substance use in a constructive and compassionate manner.
Meanwhile, London Friend’s LGBT counsellors have shown true compassion and selflessness in their one-to-one counselling services. Rigorously trained and adhering to the highest ethical standards in the industry, they provide the highest quality of care to every individual they support even in the face of heightened pressure from worsening rhetoric in media and politics. The team has tirelessly dedicated their time, energy, and compassion to each session, immeasurably impacting the lives of those they support and the community at large.
Commended: Harvist Tenants and Residents Association
The members of this association, led by their committed chair, have come together to form a formally constituted group and done some truly outstanding engagement work. The Harvist TRA has consistently gone above and beyond in supporting the residents of the Harvist Estate. Whether it’s providing crucial support to residents facing food poverty, hosting the Summer Fun Day on the estate, running coffee mornings, or holding regular monthly TRA meetings, their energy and commitment to supporting the residents of the Harvist Estate has really shined through, forging lasting and caring community bonds.
Commended: Angel Shed’s 20th Anniversary Team
To celebrate the team’s 20th Anniversary Year of providing a space for inclusive performing arts to the Islington community, Angel Shed’s incredible core of 67 volunteers as well as parents and carers volunteered at a range of extra events on top of their weekly sessions.
These included a quiz; a speech- and performance-filled celebration evening; an exhibition on Angel Shed’s 20 years of development; a gala performance at the Union Chapel attended by over 400 people; and their largest-ever children’s theatre show.
Young Volunteer of the Year 16-25:
Winner: Yusuf Uddin, Museum of the Order of St. John
Yusuf started as a family learning volunteer at the Museum of the Order of St John, Clerkenwell in April. In that short time, his impact has been huge, completing over 100 volunteer hours in just four months despite already being a university student with three paid jobs. His enthusiasm in the role is contagious and he has developed a fantastic rapport with many returning family visitors as well as with the St John Ambulance Cadets who regularly support the school holiday family programme.
From supporting the monthly Under 5’s workshops and school holiday activities, to leading the Museum’s regular Seacole Sessions which are for neurodiverse families, Yusuf has taken every opportunity offered and made it his own. Yusuf’s media studies expertise, digital skills, and eager participation in the weekly St Peter and St Paul’s School gardening club and annual Open House Festival have made him a vital part of the Museum’s small team.
Highly Commended: Cassie Beddor, Angel Shed
Cassie volunteers with Angel Shed’s Children’s Theatre group, focusing her support on one young person in particular by helping them access and engage with the session. Her kind and calm approach ensures that the member has the best possible time at Angel Shed, making new friends and having their creative ideas heard. Cassie seizes every opportunity to support Angel Shed’s work and young people in different settings across Islington, including holiday projects, special educational need schools, women’s refuges as well as in weekly sessions, where her infectious ignites the volunteer team’s energy without fail.
Commended: Hani Ahmed, Whittington Health NHS Trust
Hani Ahmed is both a ward befriender and an administrative volunteer at Whittington Hospital. Hani assists the ward staff with a variety of tasks, which sometimes includes support at mealtimes when it gets quite busy for the nurses. She always looks out for opportunities to assist not just in her role but in the Trust as a whole. This has led her to take up assisting at reception on one of the wards, to help ensure staff members have time for breaks and meals. Nothing is too small or much for her to do. Hani is very organised and always has a warm smile on her face to welcome staff, patients, and everyone else she encounters.
Commended: Ropelda Sekin, Whittington Health NHS Trust
Ropelda Sekin is a ward befriender volunteer at Whittington Hospital. Ropelda assists patients on the wards with reading, obtaining medication from pharmacy, talking and reassuring patients, offering refreshments and collecting and inputting patient feedback surveys. Within only a short period of time, she gained enough knowledge and confidence to induct new volunteers who were keen to assist on the wards, which led to her becoming a volunteer champion in her area of placement.
Commended: Yasin Yahya, Pro Touch SA CIC
Yasin’s commitment to Pro Touch SA CIC and his local community is nothing short of inspiring. Yasin began volunteering at just 15, while bringing his younger brother to sports sessions in Islington. Keen to help out by volunteering himself, started dedicating 3-5 hours every week to assist the coaching staff at sports sessions. His dedication did not go unnoticed. The Academy Director recognised Yasin’s potential and supported his development by encouraging him to attend various coaching courses, including First Aid and Safeguarding, and before long he became a qualified Football Coach and Referee – and an inspiration to other young people in the community.
Pat Haynes Memorial Trustee of the Year:
Winner: Stephen Mullin, Culpeper Community Garden
Stephen has been involved with Culpeper for more than 25 years; starting as a Gardener and Plot Holder, and ending up as a Trustee and Treasurer – roles he has held for the past 12 years. His acumen and financial abilities have enabled the Garden to thrive despite fluctuations in income over the years. He oversaw the Culpeper Community Garden’s registration as a Community Interest Company in 2017, and as a Field in Trust back in 2012.
Stephen puts his many practical skills and expertise as a trained architect to good use for the sake of the Garden, such as when he built its Greenhouse almost singled-handed, or spearheaded the Solar installation project. He has supported many novice Gardeners over the years through the Garden’s ‘buddy’ system. Always happy to share his wisdom, cuttings, and plants, his retirement this year means he leaves a legacy of dedication, incredible efforts, and true generosity of spirit.
Highly Commended: Samiira Shariff, Community Plan for Holloway
Samiira is the Community Plan for Holloway’s youngest board member, and has impressed the whole CP4H team with her commitment to her local community and her vision around provision of services for young people in the borough. Samiira works hard to make sure that everyone has a voice – she also sits on the Youth Research project working group, in addition to her work as a volunteer at Healthwatch Islington and as a participant of the Fellowship programme at Forward UK, the African women-led organisation working to end violence against women and girls, where she’s starting a workshop to create more space for Neurodivergent women from minoritised backgrounds.
Commended: Freya Johnson, Angel Shed
Freya became a Trustee at Angel Shed in 2023, after growing up through the organisation as a child member, youth member, and young trustee. Freya has been integral to establishing Angel Shed’s alumni network, reconnecting former members with current Angel Shed activities to keep them connected to their community; she was essential in sourcing speakers and chairing panels for Angel Shed’s Industry Talks Q&A sessions; and proved an indispensable part of the team during their 20th anniversary celebrations and events. Freya lives and breathes Islington, and she has demonstrated time and time again her commitment from childhood till today.
Commended: Dr. Lorraine Walker, The Parent House
Lorraine is a dedicated child psychologist who has been an invaluable asset to The Parent House and the wider Islington community for over 20 years. Her support has been instrumental in guiding them through a range of crucial areas, including Safeguarding, Premises Management, and Fundraising. Beyond her advisory work, Lorraine also takes a hands-on role in organising events and decorating the premises. Her dedication and willingness to go above and beyond make her an exceptional trustee.
Volunteer of the Year 26-60:
Winner: Tony Quinn, HC Cycles Workshop | Rose Bowl Youth Club | Brickworks Community Centre | Calypso Gymnastics | Go Full Steam | Metrobox London | Driftwood Pictures | Lift | Prospex | The Thanet Youth & Community Centre
Tony Quinn’s selfless work takes many forms; mentoring vulnerable young people to learn and get qualified in bicycle maintenance, taking young Islington residents out into the outdoors, playing an advisory role at a free-to-attend youth boxing club, collecting and donating bicycles to Ukrainian refugees, personally transporting food collections to those in need, teaching rock climbing to teens who’d been left behind by the system, and being a constant source of support and advice for people he’s previously worked with.
Suffice it to say, Tony Quinn goes above and beyond to help those who most need it in Islington and the surrounding areas, in an ever-expanding number of ways that are able to reach an incalculable number of vulnerable people and effect real change in their lives and the community. A pillar of the community in the truest sense of the term, he has touched so many lives so deeply that it is little wonder that so many of those who know him consider him absolutely indispensable.
Highly Commended: Darren Burgess, Archway Upcycle
Darren Burgess is a standout member of his local Upcycle group, helping out with sage advice or a tool to borrow to any who need them. The group provides a supportive space and a warm welcome for all. His expertise and patient guidance have won the hearts of numerous people in his community, as he works together with others in the group to help achieve more sustainable living for everyone, to teach and nurture the skills of those who attend, and to build real and compassionate social connection in an era of increasing isolation.
Highly Commended: Mark Rockliffe, Elizabeth House Community Centre | Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust
Since first starting to volunteer with Elizabeth House at the start of the pandemic, Mark Rockliffe has helped set up a pop-up food store, delivered food parcels to many residents across Islington, collected food donations, and accompanied residents home after attending activities at Elizabeth House. In the past year, he has invested even more of his time in volunteering, including at the Over 50s Blue House Club’s kitchen, and East London-based charity Headway. Based in N5, Mark really believes in community strength and how any gesture or form of support can make a big difference to someone.
Highly Commended: Paul Johnstone, Centre 404
Paul Johnstone is a Service User Volunteer who has been volunteering with Centre 404 for around three years. At the Centre’s Garden Club, he encouraged new members and always took on every task set with enthusiasm and care. In fact, he has become an invaluable support in many of the Centre’s clubs, including Warm and Welcome Wednesdays and the Friday Night Social. Remarkable in his energy and empathy, he is warmly welcoming to the service users, support workers, and family carers at the Friday Night Social; helps manage the front desk; clears up after every session; and supports the Volunteer and Engagement Coordinator, demonstrating reliability second to none.
Volunteers of the Year 2024 Picture Gallery
To find out more about volunteering in Islington email the Volunteer Centre or visit the Volunteering Section on the website. Phone: 020 7832 5826
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