Residents honoured at Community Safety Awards

Residents were honoured at the Tower Hamlets Community Safety Awards at a ceremony that took place at Regents Lake Banqueting Venue in Bow on Tuesday (22 March).

Prizes were awarded to members of the community who made a significant contribution to making the borough a safer place during 2015.

Special recognition for Outstanding Contribution to Community Safety was awarded to Nicholas Cheeseman and Fiona Everard.

Through the Nightstop Volunteer Network, the pair have helped provide temporary stop gap emergency accommodation to over 18 homeless, vulnerable young people aged 16-25 over the past 18 months.

The Best Community Project prize was shared by Brawlers Boxing and Cracked It.

Brawlers Boxing is a community boxing club running free sessions for young people founded by Zain Miah and Abdul Hannan in Shadwell.

Josh Babarinde’s Cracked It social enterprise gives young people at-risk training to repair cracked iPhones and market their skills in the tech world to get a future away from crime.

The prize for Best Community Voluntary Group was awarded to Docklands Community Organisation (DCO) based on the Isle of Dogs.

DCO is a volunteer-run community group, established by a group of residents in 2013 who transformed a set of abandoned portacabins into a community hub which provides classes and activities for all sections of the community.

Jon Shapiro was named the Best Community Volunteer for amongst other things sacrificing personal time by holding the police to account on their performance.

As the  vice chair of the Safer Neighbourhood Board (SNB) he has also organised a series of Resident Question Time (RQT) events that allow residents to raise crime concerns with the Police Borough Commander and council.

The next RQT event will be held from 6.30-8.30pm on Thursday 7 April at the Church Hall, 71 Johnson Street, Shadwell.

The Best Partnership Officer prize was handed to Metropolitan Police Chief Inspector Mark Long.

Mark Long has ensured the successful delivery of the community safety ward walkabouts over the past four years, as well as tirelessly working with partner agencies to reduce anti-social behaviour, particularly reducing the chances of being a repeat victim of it and getting victims appropriate support.

He has facilitated the link between the issues identified at the walkabouts with the ward panel meetings, where the police ward priorities are decided.

The Best Individual Achievement by a Young Person award was shared between Nasim Islam and Abu Saeed Ahsan.

Nasim Islam joined the Volunteer Police Cadets in 2013 and volunteers between 8 and 15 hours each week for the Cadets and the community.

Abu Saeed has been a Volunteer Police Cadet since 2014 and has worked closely with young people in the borough.

The Tower Hamlets Safer Neighbourhood Board and Community Safety Partnership held the awards to recognise the public’s contribution to helping prevent crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Fokrul Hoque, Chair of the Tower Hamlets Safer Neighbourhood Board said: “It is really important people are recognised for their contribution to our borough through the Community Safety Awards.

“By working with the police and local communities, we aim to support victims and help prevent crime in the borough. Too often, volunteers who help prevent crime or support victims are not recognised so it has been a pleasure to formally recognise these wonderful individuals.”