Cal heroes win top honours
ment who then pledged £1.5 million to combat period poverty.
Patel, who writes a monthly column in Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat, is keen on teaching her pupils about the British empire. The course she created for her students was so popular that Patel now trains other schools to help them diversify their curriculum. Her History Corridor posts on Instagram attract thousands of followers.
Pranav Chopra, who founded Nemi Teas three years ago with the aim of alleviating unemployment in refugee communities, won the GG2 Social Entrepreneur Award.
AMG group managing editor, Kalpesh Solanki, said, “The GG2 Leadership Awards spotlight extraordinary individuals working against immense odds.
“We highlight the work of remarkable people and shine a light on their achievements so others can follow in their footsteps. Society needs heroes and we have seen many over the last year, especially, in the NHS where doctors and nurses have worked to exhaustion saving lives.”
In his acceptance speech, Dr Nagpaul said, “I would like to dedicate this award to the generations of ethnic minority doctors and healthcare workers who have tirelessy served in our health service for decades since its inception, who have been at the forefront for caring for the nation throughout the pandemic and without whom the NHS would not have survived and could not function today.”
Since the outbreak of the pandemic a year ago, Dr Nagpaul fought for safeguards and better PPE for frontline doctors and nurses.
He also pressed health secretary Matt Hancock to make the government’s coronavirus messaging “culturally sensitive” when it became apparent that the UK’s black, Asian and minority ethnic people were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Over the past year, Dr Nagpaul – who has been fighting for a level playing field for black and Asian doctors as the first non-white head of his organisation – has frequently appeared on TV and regularly quoted in newspapers, politely and persuasively making his point.
Dr Ramasamy, the daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants and a graduate from both Cambridge and Oxford Universities, played a vital role in the development of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, working long hours and at a relentless pace in the past year.
Paying tribute to the teams which worked on developing the vaccine, she said, “Vaccination is a really important part of controlling the spread of the Covid 19 disease. I’m delighted to have been part of the effort.”
GG2 Pride of Britain Award Dame Donna Kinnair has been voice of nurses in the UK.
She said, “Nursing staff are at the frontline of Covid-19, and we see the importance of nursing so clearly in every aspect of the Covid response. We winner Professor championing the have seen the resilience, skills, innovation and compassion of nursing at its finest. But it has put the nursing staff under tremendous amounts of pressure and I will continue to support them as they work through this pandemic.”
BBC presenter Nihal Arthanayake was the master of ceremonies while Rekesh Chauhan, a British Indian pianist and composer, provided the entertainment for the evening.
The GG2 Leadership Awards were sponsored by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the Army.