Awards dinner celebrates united community

Community workers and volunteers were among those honoured at the 1V Community Champion Awards.

The eighth One Voice Annual Dinner, which included the 1V Community Champion Awards and the Leader’s Award, took place last Saturday.

The awards, in their eighth year, celebrated the very best of community people and groups in Blackburn and Darwen. Awards included Young Person, Institute, Man and Woman of the Year.

Organised by One Voice, the annual dinner was hosted by 15 year old Pleckgate High School student, Sifa Turi.

Arranged by One Voice youth leadership group 2020 Vision, the Annual Dinner was held in Blackburn’s King George’s Hall.

The event featured key note speeches delivered by Michelle Park, board member of Together Housing, and Dr Fazal Dad, Principal of Blackburn College, as well as presentations from the many groups run by One Voice Blackburn.

These included a performance from WEGS music group ‘Banned’ and the 1V Scouts Choir.

Also speaking on the night was One Voice alumni member, Adnan Raja.

The Annual Dinner was sponsored by Together Housing, Blackburn College and the Arts Council, and supported by HPA Solicitors, Our Community, Our Future, Humraaz, and Our Lancashire.

The 1V Community Champion Awards featured the Mohammed Khan Leadership Award which was presented to 12 year old Blackburn student Sara Hussain who wrote a speech when comforting a friend who was caught up in the Manchester Arena bombing. Sara talked about inventing a time machine so she could persuade Salman Abedi not to carry out the mass murders as fans left the Ariana Grande concert nearly three years ago.

Her speech, If I Could Change the World, won top prize in a schools’ public speaking competition and has been widely shared on social media.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of the Council, said:

Sara touched so many people with her passionate speech that spread a message of hope and love. She is a credit to her family and to her teachers, and I’m sure they’re very proud of her – as we are.

She’s a remarkable young lady and thoroughly deserves this award for her role in encouraging cohesion and helping people to understand one another better.

One Voice Chairman Abrar Hussain added:

The Annual Dinner, once again, was a wonderful celebration of the incredible work done in the community by so many inspiring people. It is these tireless volunteers that make our community stronger and more united.

We would like to congratulate the winners and all of the nominees in the 1V Community Champion Awards.