Bank of America Charitable Foundation recognises London's community stars
Howard Lake | 14 December 2010 | News
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has announced the winners of its fourth annual Neighbourhood Excellence Initiative (NEI) Awards, at a ceremony held at Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s City offices.
The awards are given to two charitable organisations, five community leaders, five secondary school students and two Bank of America Merrill Lynch volunteers who are helping to improve their local communities. Since 2007, the company has donated over £1,725,000 in NEI awards to support the local London community.
“Through our Neighbourhood Excellence Initiative, we are helping to generate meaningful and cumulative economic and social impact at the local level where it’s needed most,” said Jonathan Moulds, president, Europe at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
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The winners of this year’s awards are:
1. Neighbourhood Builders
Chance UK, a charitable organisation that works with young children with behavioural problems, and London Youth Support Trust, a charitable organisation that supports young entrepreneurs as they develop their business and personal potential. Each charity receives £110,000 in unrestricted grant funding. In addition, the executive director and an emerging leader from each organisation participate in a strategic leadership development programme held in the U.S.
2. Local Heroes
* Keith Gray, vice-chair, Hammersmith & Fulham Disability Forum
* Steve Hemblade, volunteer for Activenture
* Dennis Rogers, founder of The Saturday Club
* David Sawyer, volunteer for Roots & Shoots
* Ashraf Uddin, volunteer for St John Ambulance
These five community leaders have been recognised for contributing significantly to their neighbourhoods. Each individual receives £3,000 to donate to a charity of their choice.
3. Student Leaders
* Sami Ali, Drayton Manor High School
* Rebecca Duncan, Newstead Wood School for Girls
* Virdzhiniya Ivanova, New Vic Sixth Form College
* Merlain Makiadi, Southfields Community College
* Femi Situ-Amoo, Pimlico Academy
These five secondary school students were recognised for their commitment to improving their local communities. The students will attend an eight-week summer internship with a local charitable organisation and a week-long Leadership Summit in Washington DC.
4.Bank of America Merrill Lynch Volunteers
* Carl Goodman, Commodities Finance, committed volunteer at Osmani Primary School in Whitechapel
* Stephen Rae, Global Securities Solutions, committed volunteer and key partner of Futureversity’s ‘Job Ready’ programme
These two company employees were recognised for their community service work to strengthen the communities in which they live and work.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “The army of volunteers who dedicate their time to putting something back into their communities are the unsung heroes of the capital. The NEI awards are a great way of championing their efforts. It’s fantastic to see that even in these difficult times, so many individuals and organisations are still committed to helping others, and I congratulate all of this year’s winners.”
Application information for 2011
The application period for the 2011 Student Leaders programme opened on 1 October 2010 and closes on 12 January 2011.
For Neighbourhood Builders and Local Heroes, the application period runs from 1 January to 1 June 2011.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.