Mayor's Civic Awards 2008

On 13 March, Islington Council recognised some of the outstanding contributions to the borough.

The Mayor of Islington presented ten people with Civic Awards in a ceremony at Finsbury Town Hall.

All the winners had been recognised for their major and unique contribution to life in Islington. These people very often go unnoticed, so the awards ceremony was a way to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of them.

2007/2008 Winners

Sophie Bardy has worked tirelessly to make Cyrus House a better place to live, raising funds towards the A4 Allstars football team, estate community events and improvements, and trips out.

Jimmy Carlson is a founder member of the Haven Club, which provides a safe space for those recovering from alcohol or drug addition. The borough also benefits from the time he gives up to work on homeless projects.

Friends of King Henry’s Walk Garden is a voluntary group that has fundraised for a beautiful community garden for Islington residents to enjoy. The King Henry’s Walk Garden opened after almost three years of planning and hard work, and it now has 58 plots for the public and community groups to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

William Greaves formed the Capital Kids Cricket scheme with his friend Hayden Turner. The scheme looked to encourage pupils at inner London schools to play cricket, after it was removed from the curriculum. Twenty-five primary schools and all secondary schools in Islington are now part of this scheme.

Maryse Lassartesse-Jones and Martin Jones are treasurer and chairman of the Highbury Fields Association. For ten years they have worked relentlessly for the conservation and improvement of the fields and surrounding area, including the new tennis courts, the children’s playground and the transformation of the Oasis Café.

Angie Passingham and Teresa McMeekan run and manage events at the Ringcross Community Centre. The events range from activities for young people, weekly bingo session for older residents and social parties for everyone.

Khalid Oumar has done fantastic work in helping build stronger communities in Islington since the atrocity of the 7 July bombings. He has organised events to help residents understand Islam and to take back the Finsbury Park Mosque after it had been a haven for Islamic extremists.

Jane Simmonds devotes much of her time to raising funds for the Rose Bowl Youth Club. With her help, the club has flourished, providing educational and recreational activities for hundreds of children. She is also involved in many other local community groups.

Tony White has been the driving force behind many community groups for neglected young people for over 35 years. He has masterminded the resurgence of the Times Amateur Boxing Club, which supports young people of all backgrounds and sporting standards to gain fitness, confidence and self-discipline through sport to help them achieve their full potential in a safe environment.

Judith Williamson has been a key member of the Brecknock Road Estate Tenants & Residents Association for 25 years. She has selflessly dedicated huge amounts of her time in making the estate a pleasant place to live and has recently overseen the new courtyard playground project with great success.