Ben Kinsella Award nomination
How to nominate a young person who has made has made a tremendous positive mark on the local community for a Ben Kinsella Award.
The Ben Kinsella Award is a special youth award, named in memory of Ben, to recognise the outstanding contribution of a young person aged 18 or under to their community
Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust: "The Ben Kinsella Award recognises the extraordinary contribution that young people make to the lives of others. Their selfless stories of courage, resilience, and compassion are an inspiration to us all. We encourage everyone to join us in promoting this prestigious award so the incredible work being done by young people in Islington is given the recognition it deserves."
Although only one Ben Kinsella Award is given each year, the positive recognition the award brings can extend far beyond the award winner. James, a Senior Youth Worker from an Islington Youth Centre: "For the young people you nominate, for other young people who might be inspired when they see their friends or peers getting recognised for their efforts and for your organisation to celebrate the great work you are doing, I cannot recommend putting a young person forward for this award highly enough. It has been transformational for us, and I hope it will be for you too."
Who you can nominate for an award
You may nominate any young person who is an Islington resident or attends school in the borough.
The nominee should be 18-years-old or younger on Monday 27 January 2025. If you want to nominate someone over 18, read about how to nominate them for a Mayors Civic Award.
The Ben Kinsella Award recognises a local young person whose positive actions and efforts have made their mark on the local community. The awards panel wants to read nominations for young people who are:
- volunteering to support others
- going the extra mile to improve their local area
- taking part in initiatives to benefit members of their community.
Tips for your nomination
We recommend you send your nomination in as soon as possible so that the Mayor’s Office has time to contact you if we need more information.
The form asks you to tell us why the nominee deserves an award (maximum 300 words). Give specific examples of:
- how the nominee has contributed to life in Islington
- who their actions have benefited and how.
To avoid disappointment, we advise that you do not tell people you have nominated them for an award. Following the meeting of the awards panel, the Mayor's Office will contact shortlisted nominees to invite them to the awards evening in March 2025.
How to nominate
Nominations close at 5pm on Monday 27 January 2025.
Contact us
If you have any questions or would like to submit a nomination in a different format, contact the Mayor’s Office.
- Email: TheMayor@islington.gov.uk
- Phone: 020 7527 3113
- Post: The Mayor's Parlour, Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1 2UD.
Previous award winners
Ben Kinsella award winners
2024: Hope Gallagher
The winner of the Ben Kinsella Award 2024 is Hope Gallagher, who is recognised for her volunteering at Prospex, where she has supported the girl’s group and is taking part in the young leader’s programme too.
2023: Charlie Bridgeman
2023's winner Charlie Bridgeman was nominated for his work at Zone Youth Centre’s café. He has supported other young people, overcome personal obstacles of his own, and has even raised money for charity.
2022: Tyler Clancy
2022's winner, Tyler Clancy, was described as an incredibly resilient and driven young person who experienced grief after losing a friend, supported his peers and organised LGBTQ+ events as part of his involvement with local youth services..
2021: Jayden Duff
2023's winner Jayden Duff was recognised for his exemplary efforts in the Stress on the Brain partnership project between The Peel, New River College, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and SoapBox. As one of nine New River College students creating a music track and video that explored the impact of stress on the human brain, Jayden coped with the challenges of a stop-start project with maturity and composure and was an inspiration to others. Although a collaborative effort, Jayden became the project’s driving force, acting as lead vocalist on the audio track and a pivotal figure in creating the visual look of the video. Jayden has continued developing his musical knowledge and skills through an ongoing music development course.
2020: Lily Tunbridge
2020's winner was Lily Tunbridge, an active volunteer at the Zone Youth Project. She mentors and helps manage and train other young people to run the centre’s Youth Café. She also organised youth club members to donate non-perishable food, treats and toiletries to the homeless in time for Christmas.
2019: Shauna Maragh
2019's winner was Shauna Maragh, a 15-year-old who is championing women's rights, mentoring young girls about violence against women and volunteering with Solace Women's Aid.
2018: Artur Ahmati
2018's winner Artur Ahmati was recognised for his contributions to the Child Active Involvement Service, which is there to improve the lives of young people in care. He only arrived in Britain from Albania in 2017, having travelled alone. Since then, he volunteered to help social workers amplify the voices of young people in Islington. From speaking at the council’s Corporate Parenting Board to being a member of CAIS Council and working on Islington’s Pledges and Care Leavers Charter, Artur has achieved some inspiring things in a very short space of time.
2017: Sarah Adegboyega
2017's winner was Sarah Adegboyega, a senior cadet with the City of London Academy's Combined Cadet Force, who has led by example and played a huge part in helping other cadets to progress.
2016: Filsan Hassan
2016's winner Filsan Hassan has Williams Syndrome, which affects her heart and general development, and has achieved a great deal as an ambassador for young people with learning disabilities and as someone trying to help others by sharing her own experiences.