Finest in Enfield take centre stage
Date and Time of Publication:- 2008-06-03 15:06:44When it comes to going the extra mile there are many people in Enfield who deserve an award. The Enfield Finest awards celebrate the people who do go that extra mile making Enfield a better place.
Last summer Enfield Council asked members of the public to nominate people in separate categories for an award and on Wednesday 28th May the winners were announced.
Voluntary Sector - community champions
Kathy Amed
For developing a computer club for older people
She has kept the club going for five years and made a lot of people at the Café Delta Club in Nightingale Road, Edmonton, very happy.
Jean Waller
For creating award winning gardens and floral displays at the Ruth Winston Centre at Palmers Green. With her husband she accompanies older people on outings and devotes a great deal of her time to the centre.
Soraya Salfrais
As a qualified midwife she recognised a need to create a support club for new and expectant mothers. She spent a year researching, planning and seeking funding for her idea and was supported with a funding award from the Scarman Trust and Enfield Council
Environmental Community Champions
Ernest Smith
For his steadfast determination to do something positive about the environment Ernest has been responsible for the return of 6,400 abandoned supermarket trolleys. He has also reported 1,000 trolleys.
Not only does he report the trolleys to the local supermarkets, but he also returns them in person. He also reports flytipping and regularly keeps in touch with the council.
Natasha Winter
Sharing her enthusiasm for the environment with over 400 children in one year Natasha organised 12 school activities ranging from recycling initiatives, a Wipe Out Waste logo competition, planting gardens and developing a sensory garden. Every day the children at Brettenham Primary School are learning about the environment and enjoying it – and that is down to Natasha
Acts of Courage
Pannayiotis Panyiotou
At least three lives were saved and the public were made safe by his swift action. Awakened by a huge explosion in the early hours of 11th August last year, he went to investigate the fire in Lancaster Road.
He heard screams coming from the building and discovered two distressed people suffering from severe burns.
Without any regard for his own safety he went into the building and got the people to the safety of a neighbour and former paramedic Keith Weathersbee.
He spotted a person dazed and confused suffering burns. He directed him to safety across the roofs of adjacent shops.
He stopped all road and pedestrian traffic. When the fire brigade arrived he gave a full account of the night’s events.
Fire Commander Phillip Butler recommended this award
Keith Weathersbee
On the same fateful night of this terrible fire in Lancaster Road, a former paramedic, Keith Weathersbee also took part in the rescue attempts.
He took the casualties into his house and into his bathroom where he cooled their burns in his bath showering them with cold water to alleviate the pain.
Fire Commander Butler has also recommended this award.
Raymond Lock
Raymond is a postman who lives and works in Enfield. On one of his morning walks in Bush Hill Park he came across a person who appeared to have lost a lot of blood. The person had collapsed and on examination it became clear that he had severed an artery. Raymond stemmed the bleeding and called an ambulance. His actions saved a life.
Tom and Nick Fish
They featured on the front page of the Enfield Independent on 25th July last year having pulled a baby boy from the New River in Gentleman's Row, Enfield Town.
They certainly saved this baby’s life. At the time the two brothers were aged 18 and 17.
Youth awards
Giorgio Ryan
When he was born prematurely doctors forecast that he would never be able to take part in sport. But he defied the doctors and last year aged just eight he became Britain’s youngest winner of a black belt in the martial art of Taekwondo.
Afshen Yousuf
Four years ago when she was 15 her father suffered a severe stroke. Since then she has been a wonderful carer to her father – even learning to drive so that she could help him. She regularly checks her father’s health and takes him wherever he wants to go.
Community cohesion
Vijay Rattan
She was the founder of the Roshni Asian Women’s Group in Enfield. She actively organises seminars and conferences on health issues, domestic violence, raises funds to help with the relief of natural world disasters and has recently dedicated herself to raising awareness about carers.
Said Bendahane
He started a youth group in the New Southgate / Arnos Grove area of the borough. He has worked with people of different faiths and encouraged sports and activities among people of different backgrounds and generations. He has made a real difference to many lives in this part of the borough.
Council leader, Mike Rye, said, “We owe a lot to these people. They make their contribution without seeking praise or reward and it is on occasions like this that we can say a public ‘Thank you’.”
Enfield Council will be announcing awards for next year soon – watch out for details.
This document was last updated on 2008-06-03 15:06:44 published by the Communications team. Document Reference:LBE_132819
