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The evening was also the perfect opportunity for us to launch our 2017/18 Impact Report. Download it here.
Held in memory of the Founder and former Director of Hackney CVS, Adiaha Antigha, the community achievement awards celebrate the work and impact of Hackney’s voluntary and community sector.
The 2019 categories and the winners, chosen through a sector-wide online vote, were:
For the individual or organisation that is doing the best work to share the voices and stories of Hackney communities
Winner: Headway East London, for their work supporting people with brain injuries.
Billy Mann who nominated them said: “The voice of brain injury isn’t an especially loud one. Those who have been affected by a catastrophic life-changing event, don’t shout about it too much.
Headway does Hackney proud by taking what to many looks like an insurmountable disability and turns it into something super-special, something worth shouting about and something worth sharing.”
For the individual or organisation that is doing the best work on women’s rights
Winner: Anil Gokturk and IMECE Women’s Centre, for working since 1982 to end all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls and empower Turkish, Kurdish and Cypriot Turkish women.
“There is wide community out there which is receiving this award – first and foremost, women who are going through all sorts of violence against women and girls, who are brave enough to take those steps in exiting those domestic violence relationship or women all over the world who are now speaking loud about the struggles that they are going through.” Anil Gokturk
For the individual or organisation that provides innovative digital solutions for community issues
Winner: BuddyHub, for reducing loneliness and isolation in older people by using smart technology to match one ‘member’ to three ‘buddy’ volunteers, helping to create a new sustainable friendship circle that is rewarding for everyone.
“I’m getting back to living and not just functioning. I’m starting to do things I was interested in before. It’s like I’ve woken up!” said one of the seniors in the scheme.
For the individual or organisation that is successfully campaigning against poverty
Winner: BADU Sports CIC, for their worksupporting young people and their families through sport. Their activities are particularly targeted at children and families that often have no recourse to public funding and are the most deprived on a number of different measures.
“We utilise sport as a vehicle to empower young people and instill values in them that they need to navigate through a system that is made quite difficult for them. We want to have more clubs, more activities, more reasons for our families to coexist and get together as a community.” Nana Badu, BADU Community
The Gary Francis Achievement Awards are held each year to recognise local young people who achieve against the odds. This year we made awards to 7 outstanding young people, our most ever. Winners receive a one off payment of £250 and an achievement certificate. The winners were:
Shekeila Scarlett
Khallum Caller
Marx kizito
Maria Coker
Darnell Luke
Jennifer Ogwuda
Lamide Olusegun
“I was suffering with a severe depression, I still have it. Circle Collective helped me with my confidence, interview skills, getting more social and meeting new people. For 2 years I had been mostly at home, isolated from other people. So I just want to say – thank you!” Jennifer Ogwuda
Hackney CVS was a big foundation to my life. I came here with GSCE qualification and they took me to a different wider perspective. They put me to mindfulness sessions and taught me to be aware of my surroundings and nature today. I’ve done a lot of confidence building with great inspirational mentors who provided me with an ability to be a person I wanted to be. Khallum Caller
Read more about our young achievers here: