Our latest Community Award winners!

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and it’s theme is kindness.

Our Jack Petchey Community Awards programme is all about celebrating the kind acts young people are constantly doing in their community.

As we mentioned before, we have been overwhelmed by the incredible amount of wonderful acts young people have been nominated for – over 350 nominations so far!

To meet this demand, we have upped the number of winners we are announcing on a weekly basis (as you’ll see from this post!).

But not only that, we are also getting in touch with each and every young person nominated to us to give them a certificate and a small momento to thank them for their actions.

So what are you waiting for? Nominate a young person today!

For now, here are our latest winners…

The fifth winner is Katy Jones, age 21, from Hampstead.

Katy has volunteered as an Emergency Staff courier with the charity Anthony Nolan to transport lifesaving stem-cells when usual volunteers weren’t able to.

Katy lost her friend Alice to leukaemia in 2016 and has since set up a Marrow group at the university of Winchester where she studied, signing up over 700 students to the stem cell register in 3 years.

She then joined Anthony Nolan on a student placement in January where she supported Hero Project talks in schools across London.

During the pandemic, alongside volunteering as an emergency staff courier, Katy has raised awareness of the cause doing a “courier day in the life” on social media and was featured in her local paper for her hard work.

Upon receiving her award, Katy said: “This was such a lovely surprise, and a brilliant way of celebrating how young people are coming together to support the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you so much to the Jack Petchey Foundation for highlighting the incredible work that young people are doing!”

“Volunteering for Anthony Nolan has given me an outlet; a place to feel like I am making a difference and helping other people like Alice. A place to not feel so helpless against
the enormity of cancer. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to help people in need and support another aspect of Anthony Nolan’s work during this time; it’s a real privilege to be part of a lifesaving journey in this way.”

The sixth winner is Tata Issa Sougui, age 18, from Harrow.

Tata is a young asylum seeker and a youth leader in the Action Club run by Barnet Refugee Service (BRS).

Just before the lockdown was put in place, Tata suggested a Food Support Project, to deliver food parcels to young and vulnerable refugees in London.

With the support of BRS, Tata mobilized other young people at the club to design and implement this project, delivering food parcels to 119 refugees across London.

Robyn Smith, a youth worker at Barnet Refugee Service, said: “Tata is an incredible young person – he is very determined to succeed in life, works very hard in everything he does: college, leadership, activities, football, and he does it all with a smile on his face… There are many young people that look up to him and see him as a role model, he will always go out of his way to help and support others.”

Upon being given the Community Award by email, Tata said: “First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the recognition and I would like to say thank you for Robyn and all members of staff of BRS for nominating me for award. I am enormously proud of myself. Helping people is one my hobbies. Everybody must do good things for others as we want good things to happen to ourselves.”

The seventh winner is Emily Burn, age 19, from Bromley.

Emily has overcome great personal adversity to help others with kindness and an inspiring actions during the lockdown period.

After struggling through school with dyslexia and depression, she found a talent in Drama but decided to leave further education behind after she gained distinction in her BTec. She had just started her first job in which she was really thriving before being furloughed due to Covid -19.

However, this did not deter her. She found the energy to focus on making a difference to others.

During the lockdown Emily has discovered her inner artist and has been painting pictures for others to spread positivity as well as painting the inside of her key worker parents’ gazebo with Van Gogh’s Starry Night to say thank you for their support.

She has also been helping vulnerable neighbours with gardening, volunteering at her local hospice and joined a foodbank delivery service to help others in lockdown.

Anne Wheeler, who nominated Emily, said: “I am nominating Emily because she is the most extraordinary 19 year old I have ever met… I have seen such personal strength in her and overwhelming kindness and thoughtfulness for others while she was battling her own problems.”

Upon being given the Community Award by email, Emily said: “There are so many wonderful people who deserve this award! I’m so grateful that I was nominated, this award is proof to me that I have come out the other side and can cope with anything! I’m proud of myself and feel inspiration to share awareness on mental health! This award has given me confidence to open up about my story in hope that someone somewhere has the ability to do what I did and come out the other side with a huge smile on their face!”

The eighth winner, announced yesterday, is Jakub Saniukiewicz, age 18, from Housnlow.

Jakub is currently studying a biomedical sciences degree, but in between studying from home he has been volunteering as a healthcare assistant at St George’s University Hospital.

Despite working long shifts and witnessing the devastating effects of COVID-19 each and every day, Jakub has remained positive, compassionate and caring during this time.

Sunniva Chantal Salira, who nominated Jakub, said: “Jakub always finds a way to brighten up the day of anyone he speaks to… he deserves some recognition for his hard-work and effortless ability to spread joy.”

Upon receiving the award via email, Jakub said: “I would like to thank the Jack Petchey foundation for continually inspiring UK’s youth. This award brought a smile to my face at a time that I needed encouragement most to keep on giving.”

The ninth winner, announced yesterday, is Ronnie Simon, age 15, from Colchester.

Ronnie has been using his 3D-printer to print ear guards for the NHS for free from morning until night every day.

He has so far printed over 400 ear guards that form part of the necessary PPE kit and supplied them to Colchester paramedics, Colchester hospital, cancer care nurses, various care homes and St Helena Hospice.

He has had over 1100 orders so far from different healthcare establishments across Essex.

Helen Wilson, Ronnie’s mother and nominator, said: “He printed the first 300 using his own filament but has some now donated, his also just bought himself a second printer so he can double production. We are very proud of him.”

Upon receiving the award via email, Ronnie said: “I am honoured to be given this award, it’s great to be able to help people during this time of need. I will be using my award to purchase more materials so I am able to keep printing.”

The tenth winner is Joshua Bateman, age 17, from Thurrock.

Joshua is currently on furlough from his apprenticeship as a Mechanical and Electrical Engineer and has decided to fill his time 3D-printing face shields for the NHS and healthcare workers in his area.

So far, Joshua has distributed over 700 face shields to hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes and other healthcare establishments around the Thurrock area.

To keep printing, Joshua set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for materials. So far he has raised over £4000 from this page and plans to donate any leftover funds to local NHS charities.

Vicky Bateman, Joshua’s mother and nominator, told the Foundation: “We are so very proud of him using this time to really make a difference to help all these wonderful people feel a little safer.”