Points of Light: September 2014 winners
The Points of Light award recognises outstanding individuals - people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others.
The following people were given a Points of Light award in September 2014 (the numbering continues from August’s winners):
98. Gaby Eirew (London)
Gaby wins the award for setting up www.recordmenow.org. The service provides a permanent video-recorded remembrance for parents who pass away, giving support to the children they leave behind. So far the service has been downloaded by 18,000 people across 32 countries.
99. Claudia Beard (Hampshire)
Claudia wins the award for making and donating capes for young ‘superheroes’, children who have faced tough times in the UK and around the world. Claudia’s I am Super capes give these children the ‘power’ to enjoy their childhood again. She has encouraged many others to get involved in several ways, including through Year 8 and 9 textile classes and a pop-up sewing shop in Winchester.
100. Grace Franklin (Billingham)
Grace, an 8 year-old military daughter, wins the award for writing a joke book to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.
101. Margaret Thomas (Conwy)
Margaret wins the award for sustaining around 80,000 honey bees in 3 hives in woodland at Tŷ Hyll, a listed cottage in Snowdonia National Park. She led the team that turned the cottage into a Welsh Honeybee Information Centre and Tea Room. Margaret has volunteered with the Snowdonia Society for 10 years, working with the Welsh National Beekeeping Centre for 3 years on this project.
102. Angie Churchill (Wirral)
Angie wins the award for setting up the youth centre Charlotte’s Brightside in memory of her daughter Charlotte who died in a car accident aged 19. Angie started a charity and raised funds for 3 years to renovate a derelict building for the youth centre in the Wirral. Since February 2013 the centre has been a safe and secure environment for over 60 young people, and Angie plans to set up similar centres in other places.
103 & 104 Katie Bond and Claire Collins (Isle of Wight)
Katie and Claire receive their awards for setting up Across the Board – a unique school that teaches young people with autism how to surf. They now run more than 20 surf sessions each year, giving children of all abilities a fun and safe environment where they can learn a new skill.
105. Sebastian Huempfer (Oxford)
Sebastian founded Clean Sl8, a social enterprise that recycles soap from local hotels. Once sanitised, most of the soap goes to local charities, homeless shelters and disaster relief agencies while the rest is sold to cover costs.
106. Tony Robinson (Warwickshire)
Tony began volunteering as a Dementia Friend after caring for his late wife, Isobel, and has helped hundreds of people living with the condition. He campaigns to improve diagnosis rates by talking to clinics, sharing his story and running the Dementia Community Roadshow when it’s in his area.
107. Pritesh Pattni (Birmingham)
Pritesh chairs the Bidgley Power Foundation, which offers young and disabled people support through sports, sessions on life skills and educational mentoring. The foundation grew from the Bidgley Power Badminton Club; Pritesh has been an integral part of the club since it began in the 1970s.
108. Dave Henson (Hampshire)
Dave, a retired Captain who lost both his legs in Afghanistan in 2011, wins the award for helping others recover from blast injuries. As well as advising the Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College, he encourages other injured service personnel to take up sports as rehabilitation. Dave is leading Team GB at the Invictus Games.
109. Temi Mwale (London)
Temi was inspired to found Get Outta The Gang, an organisation that helps young people reject gang culture, after a childhood friend was shot and killed. The organisation addresses gang culture, youth violence and related issues through targeted programmes and touring workshops.
110. Richard MacRae (Nottingham)
Richard, a local councillor from Stapleford, has helped more than 200 people in his community to find work. He has started an annual jobs fair, helped set up work partnerships with local employers and founded the Stapleford Community Group to give practical help and advice.
111. Susan Perks (Leicester)
Susan and her “hospital hound” – Cavalier King Charles spaniel Holly – have been visiting patients in hospital for the last 6 years. As volunteers with Pets as Therapy, Susan and Holly offer therapeutic support and companionship to people who are recovering from operations or have long-term health conditions.
112. Bethan Rimmington (Sheffield)
Bethan has helped more than 100 women affected by human trafficking through HOPE. This social enterprise gives vulnerable women the opportunity to make and sell jewellery or cosmetics. She has also helped create a shea butter cooperative in Nigeria that employs women who might be at risk.
113. Adrian Derbyshire (Warrington)
Adrian, a wheelchair fencing champion, has hand-cycled thousands of miles to raise awareness of disability hate crime. After encountering verbal abuse himself, Adrian was inspired to undertake a 9-month challenge to cycle a marathon every day across the UK. He visits to schools and youth centres, educating young people about hate crime through workshops.
114. Jordan Bone (Norfolk)
Jordan was paralysed from the chest down in a road accident when she was 15. She was inspired by this horrific event to become a road safety campaigner. Jordan has devoted thousands of hours to raising awareness amongst young people, especially new drivers, about staying safe on the road.
115. Gordon Green (Powys)
Gordon created the World Alternative Games in Llanwrtyd, Wales. The games feature a range of weird and wonderful events from rock, paper, scissor competitions to bog snorkelling. They attract thousands of participants and spectators to the small town, giving a welcome boost to tourism and the local economy.
116. Kim Douglas (Birmingham)
Kim lost her son George to asthma when he was 3 years old. She went on to set up the George Coller Memorial Fund,. Kim also worked with Asthma UK to change the law so that, from 1 October 2014, emergency asthma kits can be kept in schools.
117. David Clifford (Clackmannanshire)
David Clifford, a teacher at Alva Academy, has led his school’s efforts to become one of Macmillan’s most successful fundraisers for its World’s Biggest Coffee Morning initiative. The school has raised more than £100,000 since 2003, making it the highest non-corporate fundraiser in the UK for the event.
118 & 119 Tristan Crew and Zeno Gomes (Surrey)
Physiotherapist Lt Col Tristan Crew and Instructional Officer Zeno Gomes created the innovative Battle Back golf programme. This has supported 140 injured military personnel to play golf as part of their rehabilitation. They recently ran a ‘Ryder Cup’ style competition against the USA Wounded Warrior project. The US Points of Light team have also recognised a golfing volunteer who helps injured veterans with rehabilitation - Mark Burke.
120. Honor Evans (London)
15-year-old Honor runs a successful ‘upcycling’ social enterprise, Once Loved Shoes. By decorating donated footwear with materials including jewellery, Honor gives them a new lease of life and prevents them from ending up in landfill. She also runs workshops and gives presentations on upcycling.
121. Jason Venables John (Pembrokeshire)
Jason Venables John is 20 years old. He has volunteered with St John’s Ambulance Wales for 11 years and is responsible for 250 St John Cadets.
The next Points of Light award winners can be found on the October 2014 page. All of the winners can be found via the Points of Light collection page, which brings together all the monthly lists of winners.
Last updated 30 September 2014 + show all updates
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Added recipient 121: Jason Venables John.
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Added recipient 120: Honor Evans.
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Added recipients 118 & 119: Tristan Crew and Zeno Gomes.
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Added recipient 117. David Clifford.
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Added recipient 116: Kim Douglas.
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Added recipient 115: Gordon Green.
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Added recipient 114: Jordan Bone.
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Added recipient 113: Adrian Derbyshire.
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Added recipient 112: Bethan Rimmington.
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Added recipient 111: Susan Perks.
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Added recipient 110: Richard MacRae.
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Added recipient 109: Temi Mwale.
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Added recipient 108: Dave Henson.
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Added recipient 107: Pritesh Pattni.
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Added recipient 106: Tony Robinson
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Added recepient 105: Sebastian Huempfer.
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Added recipients 103 and 104: Katie Bond and Claire Collins.
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Added recipient 102: Angie Churchill
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Added recipient 101: Margaret Thomas.
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Added recipient 100: Grace Franklin.
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Added recipient 99: Claudia Beard.
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First published.