Wandsworth Civic Awards 2024 winners announced 

The Wandsworth Civic Awards give the council and local residents a chance to honour and thank unsung heroes who work tirelessly to help their neighbours and their community – often without any recognition.

Dozens of nominations came in, and the winners were presented with their awards at a ceremony at the Wandsworth Civic Suite last night by Wandsworth Mayor Sana Jafri.

She said: “The Wandsworth Civic Awards are the council’s highest honour and they are given to truly outstanding citizens.

“Thank you to everyone who nominated and I’m honoured to have met all our winners tonight. Their hard work and selfless dedication to helping those around them help make Wandsworth the fantastic, caring, inclusive borough it is.”

Two special awards were awarded by the Wandsworth Youth Mayor Millie Quin to recognise young people under the age of 25 who have made a positive contribution to Wandsworth. Millie said: “As Wandsworth’s first ever Youth Mayor it’s an honour to present these awards and demonstrate how much many young people contribute to their local community.”

The recipients of a 2024 Civic Award are:

Jeanne Rathbone

Jeanne has worked tirelessly to make sure the important women in Battersea’s past are remembered. In 2022 she published her book Inspirational Women of Battersea and has been the force behind heritage plaques celebrating notable local women. Jeanne also voluntarily gives walks and talks throughout the year to help people learn more about their area.

Arshad Daud

As chair of his local mosque, Arshad helps the local Muslim community and works to break down barriers through inclusive events for all local people. He is chair of the Balham and Tooting Community Association and provides a platform for local organisations to come together to help the community and celebrate local heroes. And as a member of the Wandsworth Cost of Living Commission he ensures local Muslims, and all local residents, get their voice heard.

Sahar Beg

Sahar is the founder and driving force behind the Tooting Community Kitchen which provides freshly-prepared hot meals to those who need them twice a week and runs a foodbank, a home delivery service and outreach programmes to refugee centres, hospitals and shelters. As well as food, the team, made up entirely of volunteers, provides essentials like toiletries, winter packs and clothing.

Florence Boulton

At 92 Florence is still a force in her community, visiting schools to give living history lessons about life in London during World War Two and always on hand to help members of St Paul’s Church and her neighbours. Florence was a captain in the guides for many years, part of Neighbourhood Watch and an integral member of the British Legion.

Chantelle Bent

Chantelle is the founder of Chantelle’s Community Kitchen. Over the course of a year Chantelle has provided more than 14,000 free meals to her local community.  Homemade nutritious meals are served every Tuesday and on Friday guests can enjoy a sit down lunch and a chat at a brunch café, where they can also find out about local services. Everyone is welcome and treated equally.

Nick Crutchley

Nick has spent ten years doing a wide variety of tasks behind the schemes to help keep Citizens Advice Wandsworth running smoothly. He provides IT support, carries out odd jobs and was essential to enable Citizens Advice to continue to provide help during the pandemic.  And he has been crucial in recruiting, inducting and supporting more volunteers.

The Wandsworth Youth Award winners are:

Chapman Shum

Born blind and facing multiple challenges including autism and learning disability, He is a highly accomplished pianist and uses his platform to support meaningful causes, events and community projects. He is a dedicated fundraiser for Wandsworth-based charity the Amber Trust which supports music education for visually impaired and disadvantaged children, is a volunteer pianist at Queen Mary’s Hospital and has taken part in the Wandsworth Arts Fringe.

Mariam Mohsin

Mariam is an RAF Air Cadet Force Adult Volunteer. She helps make sure all the activities delivered by the Air Cadets are as inclusive as possible. Mariam is also the STEM Officer for London responsible for delivering science, technology, engineering and maths activities, and runs outdoor activities including trekking, paddle sports, indoor bouldering and rock climbing activities, as well as regular Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions.

15 runners up received Mayor’s Pin Badges

They are: