Charity’s highly-prized special helpers
VOLUNTEERS SPANNING eight decades have been honoured by Jewish Care.
Among those receiving awards at the charity’s Betty and Asher Loftus Centre in north London were 14-year-old twins Talia and Katie Dimson, who with mum Jane, were recognised for innovative and creative projects. Their second-hand batmitzvah dress sale raised £2,000 for the charity and they are planning a second event.
The twins said: “We think it is so important for young people to get involved in organisations like Jewish Care. It is an honour to get the award, especially as it’s in memory of an amazing person [Sonia Douek] who did so much for the community”.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Sheila Lawrence, The Dimson twins and Sheila Lawrence and family 84, was overcome with emotion on collecting her award for service user who also volunteers. She attends the Connect@ group in Southgate and is also an “exceptional” volunteer at the Betty and Asher Loftus campus. Connie Stanton danced her way to the stage to collect her unsung hero award, recognising 22 years’ volunteering at Rubens House in Finchley.
Appreciating the need of residents to be able to acquire a variety of personal items, she started a “trolley shop”.
Rhianna Bongart, 17, and Jenna Morris, 14, jointly took the young volunteer award.
Rhianna, a JFS pupil, has been volunteering at Jewish Care’s Redbridge centre for four years and has participated in a youth leadership programme and volunteered at camps.
Nominating her, a colleague at Redbridge commented on how impressed people were by the patience and care Rhianna showed in working with young children with autism and ADHD.
Jenna started by helping her grandma, a volunteer in the shop at Betty and Asher Loftus, in her school holidays. In January she began volunteering every Sunday at the Kun Mor and George Kiss home, establishing a singalong group.
The last award was the second presented to Hannah Baruch, a Langdon member who has been volunteering for Jewish Care for four years.”Volunteering has given me so much,” she said. “Before I was so shy. Now I am showing new volunteers around. It has changed me”.
Presenting the annual awards, comedian and writer Ivor Baddiel talked about his own experience of Jewish Care volunteers when his father attended the Leonard Sainer Centre for those with memory impairment. “We need more people like you,” he said. “Without people like you, I fear for the future.”
Adding his congratulations, Jewish Care chief executive Simon Morris stressed: “We simply wouldn’t be the organisation we are today without your support.”