Islington Volunteer of the Year Awards | News

The Islington Volunteer of the Year Awards and annual general meeting took place on 1 November to celebrate the vital work of volunteers across the borough and beyond.

Deputy Lead Governor, Olga Cecilia Farach, attended the prestigious event on behalf of The North London Mental Health Partnership (NLMHP) and in her role as C&I Public Governor, Islington Constituency.

The ceremony at Islington’s Union Chapel celebrates the contributions and achievements of volunteers working across the borough’s voluntary, community, and faith sectors.

Olga used the occasion to promote the work NLMHP does to support mental health and wellbeing and our rewarding partnership with Voluntary Action Islington which was announced as the Mayor’s Charity of the Year.

Cllr Gary Heather, Mayor of Islington, described the vital importance of volunteers both within local communities and with other boroughs across the capital, with awards going to voluntary organisations across multiple sectors.

Also attending the event was Jeremy Corbyn, MP, who praised the work of the voluntary sector and stressed its particular importance to many communities during the current economic crisis.

The event also featured an exhibition supporting Black History Month and the positive contributions of Black soldiers and civilians, particularly entertainers, to the Second World War effort. It highlighted their life experiences during and immediately after the war and reflected on the political, cultural and social climate of the time, and the many changes since.

Olga said: “It was a privilege to attend this event and to see the morale boost it gives to so many in our community including the volunteers themselves and those whom they help including service users and carers.

"The vital work that NLMHP does is hugely supported by our wider community of volunteers and does so much to contribute to supporting better mental health and wellbeing for all."