# Streetwise Opera wins Andy Ludlow Awards

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/10/09/streetwise-opera-wins-andy-ludlow-awards/
- Published: 2008-10-09T13:30:07+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Streetwise Opera, a charity working to improve the lives of London’s homeless people
through music, has won the 10th anniversary Andy Ludlow Awards.

It collected the £10,000 top prize in the awards organised by London Councils. Representatives
of the organisation received the award from Communities Minister Iain Wright MP 
at a ceremony held today at the Barbican.

The charity was established by former opera critic Matt Peacock partially in response
to former minister for housing Sir George Young’s definition of the homeless as “
people you step over when you leave the opera”.

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Three runners-up received £5,000 each: Westminster Council’s Behavioural Therapies
Action project, Thames Reach Shift Project, and Street League. The remaining shortlisted
projects from Prisoners Abroad and Vision Housing were each commended, receiving
£500 each.

Chair of the award judging panel and London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing,
Councillor Jamie Carswell congratulated all the finalists for their innovation and
hard work in combating homelessness.

The Andy Ludlow Awards recognise projects that improve services to homeless people,
prevent homelessness, or tackle disadvantage caused by homelessness. London Councils
housing directors established the awards in 1998 in memory of Andy Ludlow, former
director of Housing and Social Services in the London Borough of Haringey.

The annual awards are open to registered social landlords, housing and social service
departments, NHS trusts and voluntary organisations in London.

www.londoncouncils.gov.uk