Mayor of Redbridge will recognise community volunteers at an awards ceremony in January

The borough’s finest young citizen will be recognised along with other tireless volunteers by the Mayor of Redbridge at an awards ceremony next year.

The Ilford Recorder along with the Redbridge Rotary Club and Exchange Ilford is looking for the young person, aged 25 and under, who has most greatly helped others in Redbridge.

Each month, we pick a monthly winner and in January, the overall winner will be announced as part of the Mayor’s Annual Awards at Redbridge Town Hall in High Road, Ilford.

The inaugural awards, launched last year, proved such as success that the Mayor, Councillor Muhammed Javed, will again recognise community helpers under the theme of “giving time for others”.

Other awards include the Redbridge Best Business award, which highlights a business which has given something back to the community, and the Safer Redbridge award, which recognises an individual or group who have made the borough safer.

Cllr Javed said: “The awards are a fantastic way to celebrate and congratulate all those people who have worked tirelessly and selflessly for others.

“I have come across so many worthy winners of these awards that I hope people come forward and nominate those who are a real credit to this borough.”

Monthly winners of the Young Citizen award going forward to claim the annual prize of a £400 voucher to spend at Exchange Ilford include Akil Yearwood, 15, of Eastern Avenue, Redbridge.

He used music to cope with his Tourette’s syndrome and to help others.

The other Mayor’s Awards are the Green Redbridge award, the Caring Redbridge award and the Contribution to Redbridge Young People award.

For more information and to nominate someone for a Mayor’s Award, visit www.redbridge.gov.uk/mayorsawards.

Nominees should live or work in Redbridge and entries should relate to work undertaken between March 2011 and December 2012.

They should be no more than 200 words and can include supporting evidence.

The deadline is December 14.

Send postal entries to Mayor’s Office, Room 31B, First Floor, Town Hall.

To nominate a Young Citizen, send a statement supporting your nomination of no more than 150 words to alistair.kleebauer@archant.co.uk.

Include your own name with the nominee’s name, age, and phone number.

Entries can also be sent to Alistair Kleebauer, Ilford Recorder, 539 High Road, Ilford, IG1 1UD.