Mayor's Awards

Nour-Eddine Aboudihaj

Nour-Eddine has lived in Kensington and Chelsea for the past 20 years and has dedicated many of those years to community engagement and development work in North Kensington.

His background as a University Lecturer and Transformation Coach has helped him to support and advocate for his local community skilfully and sensitively, especially since the Grenfell tragedy.

He has created and facilitated inclusive spaces for the bereaved and survivors of the fire to discuss and process their experiences.

He has also set up the Grenfell Trust, of which he is a voluntary Director, and established the Journey of Hope suicide prevention and wellbeing project.

Abdi Aden

Abdi began working for Earl’s Court Youth Club in 1998 and became the Youth Leader and Centre Co-Ordinator in 2017.

Under his leadership, the club has been able to expand its offer to local young people.

The Club’s most popular activity is football on their renovated artificial pitch, and through the relationship Abdi has built with Chelsea Football Club, members of the Club now have access to professional coaching.

He is known as a local community leader, working collaboratively with the Police to help young people affected by youth crime, linking with the Council’s Community Champions scheme to provide drop-in sessions and social activities for older people, and working with Councillors to improve the lives of young people who have been excluded from school.

Said Aden

Said has been a Senior Support Worker at Little Wormwood Scrubs Adventure Playground for over a decade and is also the Treasurer for Friends of Little Wormwood Scrubs.

In these roles he has supported many young people in Dalgarno and in the wider North Kensington area through creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where they can have fun, learn and develop.

He is seen as a role model by many and has helped to support local children to regain their sense of security after the Grenfell tragedy.

He is particularly recognised for his work on Shakespeare in the Squares and for securing funding to make the Annual Summer Fun Days free for the community to enjoy.

Ximena Chiesa

Ximena has worked with Age UK Kensington and Chelsea for many years, starting out as a volunteer and then joining the team full-time.

Over her time with Age UK, Ximena has worked tirelessly to help the older population of the borough, specifically holding activities, events, concerts, lunches, outings, walks and parties to help combat social isolation and loneliness.

Last year, Ximena also came up with the idea to organise a Carnival event for the borough’s elderly residents. This was a great success and looks to become an annual event.

Vestalia Chilton

Vestalia is the Founder and Director of Kensington & Chelsea Art Weekend, which, due to its success and popularity, has now turned into Kensington & Chelsea Art Week (KCAW).

KCAW is a highly ambitious borough-wide initiative which brings together cultural organisations from across Kensington and Chelsea to audiences within the borough and beyond.

Vestalia is described as both ‘tireless and fearless’ and is seen as an inspiration.

Her work has helped to build community connections, encourage collaborations between cultural institutions, and has increased public access to culture.

Sue Duggins

Sue is being recognised with a Mayor’s Award for her commitment to helping the bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell tragedy.

In the immediate aftermath of the fire she sorted and delivered care packages to survivors and has continued to raise and organise donations for those affected by the tragedy ever since.

She volunteers with Kids on the Green and Solidarity Sports, helping to support children and families in the local area.

In particular, she is recognised for her tireless work to deliver the Christmas for Grenfell initiative.

She has been described as a local hero.

Fiona Fleming- Brown

Fiona has been an active member of the Pembridge and Notting Hill community for many years through her role on the Committee of the Notting Hill Improvements Group and the Pembridge Association.

She has helped to advocate for the views of members of her local community in response to the proposed Cycle Superhighway in Notting Hill and has also been involved in work on local planning issues which have benefitted the Pembridge Conservation Area.

She is described as a ‘veritable dynamo’.

Tarek Gotti

Tarek provided help to local people and firefighters on the night of the Grenfell tragedy, and has continued to support his local community ever since.

He set up Little Angels for Grenfell through which he organises family outings and events.

He cooks regular community meals at his home, offering a place for the local community, especially the bereaved and survivors, to care for and connect with each other.

He volunteers to help older people attend appointments and do their shopping, and is also a committee member of the Henry Dickens Court Residents Association.

He is described by those who know him as motivational and inspiring, and a ‘mover, shaker and a fixer’.

Dr Ruth Hillary

Ruth was a founding member of the St Helen’s Residents’ Association, has been a Trustee of the Westway Trust for three years, and has served as Chair of the West London Bowling Club (WLBC) since 2014.

As Chair, she has improved the condition of the bowling green which was previously in disrepair and created a Pétanque court on what was wasteland.

The improvements she has made to the clubhouse have made the club’s facilities safe, secure and comfortable to members.

She has worked with other members of the local community and organisations to hold events and transform the WLBC into a community asset.

Carlos Husbands

Carlos is a Police Officer who is being recognised with a Mayor’s Award for his work with young people in North Kensington.

Through his very popular weekly football project, and other work he has done with partner agencies, he has been able to engage young people in workshops which allow them to access employment and training opportunities and help to keep themselves and their peers safe.

He is very popular with those he works with, and highly respected by his colleagues who say he is an irreplaceable member of their team.

Asia Jerradi El Abdullaoui

Two years ago, Asia set up a sewing group named after her close friend, Fouzia Wahabi, who lost her life in the Grenfell tragedy. The sewing group takes place at the Curve Community Centre and now has over 20 members, some of whom are bereaved and survivors of the tragedy.

The Fouzia Sewing Group offers its members a chance to learn new skills, exercise their creativity, and most of all, a supportive and understanding atmosphere where they can access emotional support.

The Group’s highlight is their fashion show where they can show the local community the clothes they have created.

Desmond Jonas

Desmond has worked as a Refuse Loader for the borough’s Waste Collection team for more than 25 years, and was nominated for a Mayor’s Award by residents living in Norland ward.

He is known for his efficiency, commitment and the high quality of work carried out by him and his team. Most of all, local residents value his warm, friendly and charming personality and the care he takes to look after their local area.

Jennie Kettlewell

Having joined the Friends of Holland Park in 2002, Jennie became Chair in 2013.

She has fostered positive and productive relationships with many of Holland Park’s key stakeholders, including the Council, and is highly regarded for her ability to understand and balance the requirements that different communities and organisations have of the park.

She has been key in implementing many initiatives, such as the Children’s Guide to Exploring Holland Park, as well as supporting the building of new playgrounds and the restoration of the park’s historic assets.

She has been described as a ‘true friend to the whole borough’.

Inge Marks

Inge has been a Producer for the Earl’s Courtiers for seven years, a volunteer at Earl’s Court Film Festival since 2015 and Chair of the Parents, Staff, Friends Association of St. Barnabas and St. Philip’s School for two years.

She has made a significant contribution to life in Earl’s Court, and is known for her creative flair and problem-solving skills.

As a producer for the Earl’s Courtiers, she creates costumes, designs and sets, and supports many local children to put on shows, helping them to develop their self-confidence and a love of theatre.

William Morrow and Vicky Jacobsen

William and Vicky are being jointly recognised with a Mayor’s Award for their work on the Christchurch Street Garden in Chelsea.

Together they volunteer their own time to plant, prune, care for, and maintain the garden.

Local residents have described the garden as a ‘little haven’ and have spoken of the comfort and space for reflection it has provided them.

Andreia Oliveira-Miguel

Andreia is a resident of the borough who has worked for RBKC’s Community Engagement team since 2017.

Prior to joining RBKC, she was active in helping those displaced by the Grenfell tragedy to access emergency accommodation and urgent supplies, and she also contributed to the London Resilience Gold Command Crisis Management Project.

She brought her knowledge of, and commitment to, serving the communities of North Kensington with her when she joined the Council, and has since been a key officer in the consultation process for the Youth Review, and took a leading role in the Council’s first ever participatory budgeting process.

Andreia’s colleagues say she is very hardworking, supportive and approachable, and has an endless passion for the local communities she works with.

Ada Ruth Portillo De Otubela

Ada has been nominated by firefighters based at Chelsea Fire Station for her tireless voluntary work helping to feed people who are homeless.

Every day, come rain or shine, Ada collects unsold food that would otherwise be wasted from local businesses and food outlets on the King’s Road, Chelsea, and hand-delivers it to homeless people and shelters in the area.

She has done this for years and is known for her cheerful, friendly and selfless character.

Shereen Serry

Since the Grenfell tragedy, Shereen has volunteered her own time to support the bereaved and survivors in many ways.

She is a trusted member of the local community, who will always lend a supportive and caring ear to those in need.

She attends meetings, including the Inquiry hearings, with bereaved and survivors and also helps them by writing letters and emails.

People who know Shereen say she is exceptionally kind and selfless.

Chris Shirley

Chris is a founding member of Kensington Dragons Football Club (KDFC), established in 2001, and currently volunteers as Trustee, Secretary and Treasurer of the Club. KDFC now has ten boys’ youth teams and two girls’ youth teams playing in the Premiership of the Middlesex County Football League and their home ground is at Kensington Memorial Park.

Alongside football, KDFC provides young people with mentorship, educational support and access to funding opportunities.

Chris was instrumental in getting their football pitch renovated, and has developed relationships with people from across the community and from many different organisations, including the Council, to help make the Football Club the most prominent in the borough and a shining example of community cohesion.

Chris has been described as a ‘true community player’.

Ayshen Topcu

Ayshen has volunteered at St. Cuthbert’s Centre for over a year and a half.

She took part in their Culinary Skills workshop programme, which she passed with distinction, and has since been a volunteer in their kitchen, helping to cook meals for the Centre’s visitors which number more than 100 every day.

Her confidence and skills have grown over her time working with the Centre, and she is a highly valued member of the team.

Those who work with Ayshen say she is always enthusiastic, positive and calm, and shows true dedication and sensitivity to the Centre’s clients.

Francesca Valerio

Francesca has worked as the Community Programme Director at Migrants Organise, a charity based in North Kensington that offers support and advice to refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, for more than ten years.

The Community Programme she runs provides a mentoring scheme and casework assistance for their members, offering them a safe space to discuss their situations and access support.

Francesca’s colleagues say that she always takes her time to make sure that clients are listened to and understood, so that they can be fully involved in the plan to help them resolve issues they are facing. She is dedicated, trusted, and knowledgeable, and has been described as a woman with ‘a heart of gold’.

Liberty Venn

Liberty founded the London Children’s Book Project (LCBP) in 2017 and since then the charity has sorted and redistributed 190,000 books to schools, women’s support groups, foodbanks and a prison.

The Project began with a trial at Barlby School in Dalgarno in 2014, however it now supports children across London.

Liberty has developed relationships with independent donor schools and businesses who donate books, as well as volunteers who have spent over 1,800 hours sorting and delivering books.

The work of the LCBP expands the worlds of the children they help, and improves wellbeing and learning outcomes.

Those who nominated Liberty say her energy, drive and determination have been fundamental to the success of the LCBP.

Anthony Walker

Anthony is a conservation architect who has been the Chair of the Edwardes Square, Scarsdale & Abingdon Association (ESSA) for 20 years and is also a Trustee of the Kensington Society.

He works relentlessly to keep members of ESSA and other individuals and groups across Kensington informed about planning matters and uses his wealth of knowledge to help them respond to and improve plans.

Over his time in these voluntary roles he has helped to conserve many of the borough’s buildings and green spaces, and in turn, its history.

Tina With-Seidelin

Tina is a volunteer at Refettorio Felix at St. Cuthbert’s Centre, Earl’s Court.

She offers the Centre’s clients an array of support including one to one computer sessions, help to avoid falling victim to online and telephone scams, assistance to update Universal Credit journals, and applying for settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme.

She also supports the Centre’s clients with their Step Up to the Plate programme, which sees adults develop their culinary skills and work on their CV and interview technique to help them move into a career in hospitality.

Those who work with Tina say that her calm, warm and friendly character make her an excellent team member and support to those she helps.

Evanise Zwirtes

Evanise has volunteered for many years at Refettorio Felix at St. Cuthbert’s Centre, Earl’s Court.

She forms a crucial link between the kitchen which caters for many of the Centre’s most vulnerable clients, and support workers.

Her background in psychotherapy means that she is always able to offer an understanding and supportive ear and help visitors to the Centre access the services they need.

She is well-respected by those who work at the Centre as a calm and supportive leader.