Council Leader & One Voice Blackburn search for Covid heroes

The Council is once again working with One Voice Blackburn to find our local Covid heroes, as we announce the nomination process for the 1V Leader’s Award.

The Leader’s Award, to be awarded at One Voice Blackburn’s annual awards in October, will acknowledge and reward an individual or an organisation that has been a shining example of kindness and compassion throughout the Covid-19 pandemic through their local leadership. It will also look at entries that have shown a strong ethos of integration and cohesion in the town.

This is the sixth year of the Leader’s Award with winners coming from all sections of the community.

Blackburn with Darwen Council Leader Mohammed Khan said:

It’s been a 16 months like no other and an experience I expect many people would like to forget. But in Blackburn with Darwen we are blessed with many organisations and individuals who, in the very early days of the pandemic, looked for opportunities to help people who were struggling and sprang into action.

These are the people whose efforts deserve to be celebrated and remembered. Their hard work and determination to make the lockdowns easier for a wide range of people – from the elderly and isolated, to those affected by loss of earnings – ignored difference and supported everyone in Blackburn with Darwen. This makes me incredibly proud and I’m looking forward to receiving nominations from across all our communities.

Sara Hussain won the Leader’s Award 18 months ago, in recognition of the speech she wrote when comforting a friend who was caught up in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.

In her poignant speech, Blackburn born 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 three years ago.

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

Sara said:

I wrote from the heart and was overwhelmed by the response to it. This shows how important it is to be a part of such an amazing community and to belong. I wish I could do more to help the community of Blackburn with Darwen. With the support I’ve received from my schools and community groups such as One Voice Blackburn, I feel I can.

If you would like to nominate an individual or an organisation for the Leader’s Award, email a 100-word explanation as to the reason for your choice to info@onevoicenetwork.org.uk. The closing date is Tuesday 31 August 2021.

The winner will be chosen by Councillor Mohammed Khan and trustees of One Voice Blackburn, and will be announced at the One Voice Annual Dinner and 1V Awards, due to take place in October 2021.