Published: Friday 25 February 2022
More than 20 local people and organisations have had their outstanding contributions to life in Kensington and Chelsea recognised with a Mayor’s Award.
Nominees were put forward by members of the community and judged by a panel which selected individuals and groups that have gone above and beyond to serve the borough.
The winners were announced in three different categories – Individual Contribution, Local Community Organisation and, for the first time, Young Person – and will receive their awards at a ceremony in March.
Among this year’s recipients were residents who have given up their time to volunteer at food banks, serve on community committees and help the homeless and veterans of the Armed Forces.
Popular groups including Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, The Space, Dalgarno Trust Foodbank and Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Project were also rewarded for their services to Kensington and Chelsea’s residents.
Councillor Gerard Hargreaves, Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, said:
“Mayor’s Awards go to people and organisations that serve our community and make Kensington and Chelsea great place to live, work and learn. On behalf of the whole borough, I thank the winners for their amazing contributions.”
Moktar Alqaderi, who received a Mayor’s Award in the Individual Contribution category for the support he has provided to young people for more than a decade, said:
“I am truly humbled by this recognition and feel that such an immense honour will serve to motivate me to continue in the work that I do.
“I have always lived in the borough. I set-up my own social enterprise which was designed to help ex-offenders secure training and have continued serving the community over the last decade, motivated by the struggles of so many that I come across every day.”
Souad Talsi, founder of Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Project which received a Mayor’s Award in the Local Community Organisation category, said:
“The nomination itself is a recognition of the hard work invested by all concerned. The pandemic has been especially cruel and our work has made that difference in ensuring isolation isn't loneliness.
“I founded this small but great local charity as a mouthpiece for all Moroccan and Arabic speakers, who remain under the radar and often marginalised. To support a woman, for example, from being broken by domestic violence when she comes to us to becoming an independent, strong survivor is a testimony to our commitment and belief that together we are stronger.”
Robert Halbert-Pereno, who received his Mayor’s Award for Individual Contribution for his work as a community gardener in North Kensington, said:
“To have been nominated for a Mayors Award took me by complete surprise. It’s a great honour – I love what I do and to be awarded an honour such as this by the Mayor is icing on the cake.
“Volunteering often during my life helped me out of lost and low periods. By encouraging others to garden I am rewarded on a daily basis. To see people’s lives improve just by spending time with nature is so very rewarding.”
Rob McGibbon, who received an Individual Contribution award for organising a petition and media campaign calling for the installation of a Green Man crossing over Battersea Bridge at Cheyne Walk, said:
“Over the years, I have always tried to contribute to my community in some small way. I love my area and the whole borough. It is a fabulous place to live.
“I fully support the Mayor’s Awards because they acknowledge that doing your bit for your community really matters. Everyone can do something positive. My mantra is always: Don’t walk on by!”
The full list of Mayor’s Award winners can be found here.