Muhammed is 1V Young Person of the Year!

Blackburn with Darwen’s Deputy Youth MP Muhammed Bapu was name 1V Young Person of the Year at the One Voice Blackburn annual dinner and 1V Awards on Saturday night.

Sixteen year old Muhammed was recognised for his work on the effects of Covid-19 on children and young people’s mental health, which has led to a new Wellbeing Champions course to train young people to support and mentor others. Muhammed’s role in sharing key Covid safety information as a Covid Community Champion was also praised.

Muhammed said:

It is an honour to be the first recipient of the 1V Young Person of the Year Award under the new title which represents the memory of Aya Hachem. It was an honour to have been presented the award by Aya’s mother and sister, a moment that I will never forget.

The excitement and emotion to have won the award signifies the importance that youth voice and input can bring, and highlights the work and values of our community over the past 18 months.

Muhammed is the first recipient of the trophy after it was renamed the Aya Hachem Young Person of the Year Award in memory of the 19 year old law student who was fatally shot in Blackburn in May 2020.

Aya’s mother Samar Salame was at the awards evening to present the award. She spoke about how proud Aya would have been to know that the award had been renamed as a tribute to her.

The evening celebrated Blackburn’s community workers, local charities and volunteers.

Other 1V Award winners were:

Woman of the Year – Danni Whitehead

Man of the Year – Tinta Ali

Group of the Year – Benefit Mankind

Council Leader’s Award – Blackburn Muslim Burial Society

The John Roberts Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health Prof Dominic Harrison. In his acceptance speech, Prof Harrison praised the collective efforts of communities across Blackburn with Darwen for helping to drive down Covid case rates.

Council Leader Coun Mohammed Khan CBE commented:

Congratulations to One Voice Blackburn on another inspirational evening celebrating the people and organisations who go above and beyond to make our borough a better place. It is right that their efforts are noticed and rewarded. I hope all the winner and nominees feel proud of their achievements, as the borough is proud of them.

The evening also marked the charity’s 10^th anniversary. In their first decade One Voice Blackburn have positively influenced so many people’s lives, and I wish them well for their next ten years.