We’ve been celebrating their achievements in our pages since March, but on Monday, the winner of our annual Young Citizen award will be revealed.
Each month, we’ve brought you stories of hard work in the community, public spiritedness and kindness by young people aged 25 and under from Redbridge.
Now 10 deserving candidates are in the running to be crowned the overall winner of the Recorder/Redbridge Rotary Club Young Citizen Award, sponsored by The Exchange Ilford shopping centre.
The winner will be announced at the Mayor of Redbridge’s Community Awards at Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford, on Monday night.
The Mayor of Redbridge, Cllr Felicity Banks, said: “These young people are an inspiration to all of us to give time and commitment to family, friends and others that need help.”
Grace Davies got us off to a great start when she was picked for setting up a youth group for disabled people.
Teenager Ionie Wheeler was our next winner after cutting off her hair to create a wig and fundraising for a cancer charity while Abda Kazemi spent hundreds of hours of sports volunteering.
Emma Richards raised £600 through a sponsored swim to help John Bramston Primary School in Newcastle Avenue, Hainault, improve its infants’ playground.
Charlotte Smith climbed a 1,000m mountain in five-and-a-half inch heels for Haven House Children’s Hospice in Woodford Green.
Lucy Daldy, from Chigwell, overcame a horrific experience when she was sexually abused as a child, to work with otherswho have been through the same ordeal. She is a mentor and ambassador for the charity Step Up, set up by her mum Shelley.
Serour Benbouza, of Fenman Gardens, Goodmayes, wanted to “promote 21st century youth” by leading 50 young volunteers on various projects and primary school pupil Tiharna Vaja, convinced fellow pupils to join her in raising money for the child charity Plan UK.
Tia Burns from Woodford Green has raised thousands for different causes and Mia Sands, of King Solomon High School, Forest Road, Barkingside, strove to give other pupils “the confidence they need” through tuition and fun activities.
It will be hard for our judges, including Recorder editor Chris Carter and Eve Conway-Ghazi, the former Rotary district governor of London, to pick between such deserving candidates.
n Visit our website and get next week’s paper to read all about the Mayor’s Awards.
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