Unsung heroes earn community awards
 | | THANK YOU ALL: Winners in the Safer Communities Awards |
UNSUNG heroes were rewarded during a glitzy ceremony.
Council chiefs sung the praises of residents and workers who have helped to protect the public during the Safer Communities Awards.
Among the heroes was 82-year-old lollipop man Ted Feathers, who won the extra commitment award.
Ted has patrolled the road outside Churchfields Junior and Infants Schools for 16 years.
He was saluted for going the extra mile to look after and direct visitors and always offering everyone a cheery smile and wave.
He said: "I love everything about my job and I would recommend it to anyone. All the children and their parents are marvellous. It's a wonderful feeling when I hear children as young as 18 months calling out my name and waving."
Bashir Chaudhry, of Ilford Community Centre, Eton Road, Ilford, and chairman of the League of British Muslims, received a community cohesion award.
Guests heard how he works to discourage antisocial behaviour between young people and tries to show the positive benefits of giving back to the community.
His organisation also tackles a number of sensitive issues such as drug and alcohol misuse amongst young Muslims and prevention of violent extremism.
Mr Chaudhry also volunteers as a counsellor for the Redbridge Victim Support Service.
He said: "When I came to this country there was a lot of people, migrants who needed help and support and I felt that if I could help people then I should."
Also recognised were Avta Singh Panesar who won the individual award for his years as a crime watch co-ordinator, the Muslim Youth Project and Kiranjit Dhillon, who jointly won the Young safer communities award; Manisha Patel - founder of the residents association for the Buttsbury Estate in Ilford - who won the Mayor's special award and Barclays Bank who won the group award for their work preventing fraud.
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