At this year’s Luton Community Awards Ceremony, Vauxhall was proud to hand over the Young Hero award to both, the runner up and the winner. The award was jointly sponsored by Vauxhall Motors and Develop EBP.
Over 600 people turned out at the awards ceremony, staged at Venue Central, Luton, in a buzzing atmosphere.
A select group of judges formed by local MP’s, councillors and business people, had chosen the award winners after much deliberation and the awards ceremony was hosted by Sufian Sadiq, a teacher from Luton Sixth Form College. The standard of entries was very high and 26 local companies came together, sponsoring the awards.
The highly coveted Young Hero award winner was handed to Tanvir Islam who has been volunteering for the ASR project. The ASR project supports young disadvantaged people and helps them grow through sporting activities working in teams. A new building has just been opened in town offering a place where teenagers can gather to gain vital life skills. Tanvir has been instrumental in delivering innovative diversionary opportunities to those young people and a first rate creative, Tanvir also designed ASR’s branding. With his growing team of volunteers, Tanvir also campaigned to help victims of Somalia’s devastating drought to the tune of £5,000; he raised £1,250 for local homeless people; he contributed to the success of ASR’s new learning centre and he has been involved in promoting ASR’s incredibly successful FIFA gaming tournament in Luton. All this, and Tanvir is still only 17!
Kajal Tahir, equally only 17 years old and an active volunteer in the community, was the runner up and took the highly commended award. Despite personal difficulties Kajal mentors teenagers that are not in training, education or work and she has also helped raise a considerable amount of money for local charities.
Jason Mackerness, Vauxhall’s Human Resources Manager, who handed the Young Hero runner up and winning awards to Kajal and Tanvir, said:
“It was really overwhelming to see so many young people come forward to collect their awards and at Vauxhall we are extremely pleased to be part of this. I wish Tanvir and Kajal and all other participants the greatest success in the future.”
