Three brothers in South Woodford who look after their neighbours and gave them sunflowers to brighten their spirits during lockdown, are this month’s Young Citizen nominees.
Aron, 12, Noah, 10, and Jonah Tiller, six were featured in the Recorder this summer when they decided to gift 50 sunflower plants to their neighbours in Raymond Avenue when they weren’t able to spend Eid with their families.
They held a contest to see who grew the tallest sunflower. The winner was a neighbour whose plant grew more than five and a half feet and sprouted 21 flowers.
The project brought the community together and the boys made new friends as a result.
They also regularly check in with a 94-year-old neighbour who is two doors down from them but isn’t able to walk and will bring her cakes and biscuits which they bake themselves.
Twice a year they raise baby caterpillars and bring them over to her house and invite their neighbours to release the butterflies to the world.
And every year at Christmas, as part of a larger effort with Woodford Forest United Synagogue, they bring cookies to police, fire stations and to hospital staff to say thanks for working over the holiday.
The Recorder caught up with the boys and when asked why they go out of their way to look after their neighbours.
Noah said: “It’s just part of our lives.”
Mum Nicola added: “We don’t expect anything back from it.
“But some people don’t have anyone to look out for them and it was just a way for us to connect with our neighbours and reach out.”
The Ilford Recorder/Redbridge Rotary Club Young Citizen Award celebrates the great things being achieved by young people of Redbridge, aged 25 and under.
Each month’s nominee will be invited to the Mayor’s Community Awards night in March and an overall winner will be announced.
The winner will receive £100 from Redbridge Rotary Club and will, along with the runner-up, go through to the national Young Citizen final run by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland.
To nominate, visit www.redbridgerotaryclub.org/contact giving information about the nominee and contact details.
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