London Make a Difference awards: Community heroes celebrated

"Dad would have been so proud", 12-year-old Alexander Wayne tells me as he collects his BBC Radio London Make a Difference award for raising more than £70,000 for bereaved children after his father died three years ago.

Alexander is one of eight Londoners who have been recognised as an unsung hero of his community.From hundreds of nominations, 32 shortlisted candidates gathered at the Tate Modern to be celebrated and championed.

As Alexander came up to the stage to a rapturous applause to collect his Fundraiser Award, his mum, and many others in the audience, teared up.

Alongside all the expected glitz and glamour of the event, it was the heartfelt stories of people who had gone the extra mile that transformed the afternoon into something magical, and ensured there was not a dry eye left in the audience.

"Against a back drop of negative news and sad stories, these awards really show that there are wonderful people doing wonderful things all around", hosts and BBC Radio London presenters Eddie Nestor and Gaby Roslin tell the audience.

And that could not be more true than for Lola Idris-Debayo, who won The Volunteer Award for feeding thousands of vulnerable people in her community.

"I was once homeless myself and the first thing I did when I got off the street was to have a hot meal and that's what I am providing for those people now.

"My aim is to make sure there is food for anyone that knocks on my door, I don't want anyone to go without food," she tells me through tears.

Another person that is also supporting vulnerable members of the community is Carl Kirby-Turner, who won the Carer Award.

Carl, who set up a charity called Friends of Cathja, cares for people with mental health challenges and provides a safe space on a converted barge in Isleworth, west London.

He says he hopes the award "will increase the self esteem of all the people who attend the barge" and will "improve the understanding and treatment of mental health".

Another group of people making a difference to their local area is the Caribbean Social Forum, who won the Community Group Award.

The group has helped more than 600 people by offering them a "place to learn, enjoy themselves and build friendships".

One member of the group, Bishop Euston Copeland, says the thread that runs through the whole group as well as all the nominees is that "we make people feel that they matter, are valued and are important".

Some of the winners, including Tilisha Goupall, who was given the Bravery Award, have been focusing on supporting young people in London.

Tilisha, who witnessed her brother being stabbed to death six years ago, has been going into schools to educate people on the dangers of carrying a knife.

"I will take this award with me to the schools I go to and I will show them that anything can be achieved. This is an example that there is more to life than just carrying a knife," she says.

The winner for the Together Award, Swiss, has also been inspiring the next generation, with a focus on helping young black Britons to establish new ventures with Black Pound Day.

He says it is "good to be acknowledged and recognised" as it is a "tough job trying to change youth culture".

Winners of the Green Award, Renee Williams and Anshu Ahuja, echoed Swiss, saying that "recognition like this inspires us to put one food forward even on the days when everything seems so hard".

The duo run DabbaDrop, the UK's first plastic and emissions-free takeaway service.

The wonderful celebration of community heroes was perfectly summed up by the winner of the Great Neighbour Award, Zohaib Rehman, who saved a neighbour's life.

"Being surrounded by so many inspirational people shows that each of us has an ability to help the community that we can unlock within us. This is a very special day".

You can listen to a special programme dedicated to the winners of the Make a Difference Awards at 20:00 on Friday on BBC Radio London or listen back on BBC Sounds shortly after.

The BBC Make a Difference Awards are your chance to say "Thank You" and show recognition and appreciation for people who love to make life better for others.

There are eight categories and winners are selected by a panel of judges. Awards are given in each category, across each local BBC radio station.

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