Announcing the London Impact Awards shortlist

It’s so important to recognise the grassroots. When your work is recognised it gives you courage.
Bishara Mohamud

Back in October, we opened applications to the inaugural London Impact Awards: Powering Youth, supported by the Citi Foundation.

Dedicated to recognising and celebrating the charitable organisations and young leaders across London who are working to support young people affected by or at risk of youth violence, the applications we received told stories of ordinary people and groups doing extraordinary work at the heart of their communities, right across London.

To make the decisions on shortlisting it was important we had a panel with deep knowledge and connections to the issue. We wanted people with a range of experience in relation to youth violence, including some with lived experience, and we were delighted that some key contributors to this sector agreed to join our panel, which was chaired by LCF’s CEO Kate Markey:

  • Amani Simpson, Founder and CEO, Aviard Inspires CIC
  • Bishara Mohamud, Operations Manager, The Anti-Tribalism Network
  • Charli Nwaordu, Street Team Coordinator, Prospex
  • David Cohen, Investigations and Campaigns Editor, London Evening Standard
  • James Bardrick, Head of Citi in the UK
  • Leroy Logan, former Metropolitan Police Service Police Superintendent, current Chair of Voyage Youth
  • Pastor Lorraine Jones, CEO The Dwayne Simpson Foundation
These awards are really important. Sometimes you can work on projects where there are specific needs to be met from the funder and it can take away your capacity to really help. There’s a danger that it becomes about box ticking. These awards will help services at the grassroots. And reading through these awards has given me new ideas about how I will collaborate with other groups!
Charli Nwaordu

Our judging panel had some incredibly difficult decisions to make, but we are now excited to announce the shortlisted organisations, with winners to be announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 19 February. The winners of the Young Leader with Impact Award will also be announced at the ceremony.

Best Youth Voice

  • Art Against Knives
  • The Winchester Project (the Winch)
  •  XLP

Best Innovator

  • Regenerate UK
  • The Ben Kinsella Trust
  • The Greenleaf Trust

Best Collaborator

  • MAC-UK
  • Shoreditch Trust
  • StreetDoctors

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination to the London Impact Awards: Powering Youth.

On the streets there’s a term ‘real recognise real’. This is real and I hope it continues. The Citi Foundation can be a role model for other corporates and the establishment, addressing the inequalities around violence, injustices and so many other issues that affect our communities. This is about significant, real change.
Leroy Logan