Spidey’s now a right royal hero
ACOMMUNITY champion who dressed as SpiderMan while raising thousands to keep vulnerable residents fed during the pandemic has been honoured by the Queen.
QAMAR NAWAZ, from Stockport, couldn’t speak a word of English when he moved to the UK from Pakistan back in 2007.
And 13 years later, the Co-op store manager has been leading efforts to support residents in Bramhall since the Covid pandemic first hit.
Now, Qamar has been recognised for his efforts with a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
He said: “I’m really pleased, it’s always nice to be appreciated for the work you do for the community, but I didn’t expect it.
“We served our community regardless, it was inclusive and everybody was a part of it.
“There was so much going on it’s hard to remember all of it.
“We were coming up with anything we could for the locals to bring a bit of sunshine and a smile to people’s faces.”
Working in the Bramhall Co-op store as the pandemic began, Qamar teamed up with volunteers to launch the Bramhall Helping Hand network.
The group ultimately grew to 1,700 volunteers, connecting around 200 streets via WhatsApp, helping to supply food and prescriptions to residents isolating at home.
As the local Chelwood food bank faced increased demand for its services, Qamar led support to keep the community’s vulnerable safe.
The Bramhall Co-op became a drop-off point for donations, and Qamar’s drive helped to raise £8,000 in cash and £15,000 in donations for the food bank.
He also launched a community fund so that elderly or vulnerable residents who struggle with card payments would have the money they need to buy food and essentials.
Qamar said: “The main thing was coming up with innovative ideas that kept the momentum going in the community – raising a lot of funds, providing food and prescriptions.
“It was well-structured, compliant with Covid rules, and it was all about keeping people in the community safe.”
Throughout the pandemic, Qamar was also keen to keep spirits raised in the community.
He began to dress up as Spider-Man and assembled a ‘Spidey Squad’ of Bramhall Helping Hand volunteers. The team knocked at homes and collected food parcels, while bringing joy to children across the community, who saw SpiderMan in their garden and played games with the ‘Spidey Squad’ through the window.
Qamar also worked with volunteers to deliver ‘Caring Cuppa Kits’ to brighten up the day of elderly and vulnerable residents who were shielding in the pandemic, while he also organised the delivery of 100 Easter eggs for key workers at Stepping Hill Hospital.
“It’s a lovely community in Bramhall,” added Qamar.
“People came together to support each other and we were going above and beyond to help others.”
Qamar has now moved from the Bramhall Co-op to a store in Lees, Oldham, where he has brought the Spider-Man costume and is again leaving an impression with his community spirit.
And even though she was pregnant with the couple’s third child, wife Jamila Kenwal insisted Qamar should continue putting the community first.
“We had a baby on April 3 but we didn’t want to leave the community alone,” he said.
“My wife is a saint – she has supported me, she said ‘it’s fine I can cope with it, you can do what you need for the community.’”
Qamar is not the only person to be recognised for his efforts in Stockport as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List this year.
JANETTE BARR ANDERSON HOGAN, 71, has been made an MBE for services to palliative care in Manchester.
She has devoted almost 50 years to nursing and is highly respected by her peers, seniors and clinicians on the coal face at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, where she is cancer and palliative care clinical lead.
Championing her field as a district nurse before working as a community Macmillan nurse, Janette has played a crucial role in commissioning palliative care beds in Manchester.
She launched the North Manchester Macmillan Palliative Care Support Service in 2015, which has seen the number of patients with an advance care plan for the end of their life increase from 56% to 90%.
The service was recognised as outstanding for compassionate care by the Care Quality Commission in 2017, and it has since secured funding to be rolled out across Manchester.
LYNDA LEADBETTER, from Winsford, has been awarded a BEM for services to the community in Stockport during Covid-19.
The 51-year-old runs the Beeweighed weight loss support group, which has over 200 members, and offered free online sessions on Zoom to keep people connected.
She also ran a virtual book club, prioritising members’ interests, and her efforts have helped people struggling with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Tracey Telford, from Ashton Hayes, has also been awarded a BEM for services to tackling Covid19 after making PPE for healthcare workers.
Starting at home, she eventually teamed up with the University of Chester and a factory in Stockport to produce thousands of face visors.
Stockport-based Spectrum Plastics donated their factory, with five of their staff working daily for free to produce face shields, and Tracey’s products were sold at a not-for-profit price of 57p each.
Full list of Stockport honours is:
●OBE
Theresa Grant. Chief Executive, Northamptonshire County Council. For services to Local Government and the Public Sector; Francis McCarron. Lately Principal, Stockport Academy. For services to Education; Christine Mary Reekie (Christine McLoughlin). Director, Children Services, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. For services to Children and Families.
●MBE
Nicholas Ivan Abbott. Chair, Salford Foundation. For services to Young People and Social Inclusion in Salford, Greater Manchester; Janette Barr Anderson Hogan. Cancer and Palliative Care Clinical Lead, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Palliative Care in Manchester.
●BEM
Qamar Nawaz. Frontline Food Retail Worker, The Cooperative Group. For services to the Food Supply Chain.