Sixteen individuals and two organisations were presented with The Lord Mayor's Medal on Tuesday 17 May for their contributions to Bristol's communities. Now in its 39th year, the Lord Mayor’s Medal awards celebrate the achievements and charitable efforts of Bristolian citizens who have gone above and beyond for their communities over the past year.
Bristol Horn Youth Concern who has been providing sports and educational programmes for young people living in the inner city of Bristol since 2012 were delighted to have been given formal recognition for the work they have been doing.
The charity director, Khalil Abdi co-founded the charity in 2012 after noticing a lot of young people were hanging around on the streets, with little to do. At first they just offered free football sessions, paid for by fundraising within the community.
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The organisation has grown over the years and alongside free swimming, football, martial arts and basketball, they provide training on gang grooming, sexual exploitation and relationships. They also have worked within communities in Easton, Lawrence Hill and St Pauls to increase vaccination uptake during the pandemic.
Mr Abdi said: “At first the parents didn’t understand, they thought we were teaching their children how to have sex. When we explained to them that we were teaching them to understand consent, we got backing from parents.
“We teach young people to understand their responsibility if they have a relationship and the difference between a good relationship and a bad relationship. We started a new programme called ‘gang prevention’ which has become very successful,” added Mr Adbi.
Divine Ampofo, a former drug dealer from London, shared his story with young people at Ashton gate stadium in 2019 as part of the programme which is a partnership between the police, Bristol City football club and Bristol Horn Youth Concern.
Mr Abdi told the BBC at the time: "It's important for the young people to see someone like Divine who can speak about his experience, about people losing their lives. But he has made something of himself and had success.
"That's what we want young people to see, that there is a better way. We're also showing them that we are here for them, we care about them and we support them.
“Sometimes they feel like nobody cares about them, like they have no value but we tell them: No, they have value and they are important to their community and their families."
The medal recipients were presented with their medals by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Steve Smith, at Mansion house, Clifton, alongside seven other councillors of Bristol.
The Lord Mayor, Councillor Steve Smith, said: “It has been an honour to meet these inspiring people, and award them with the Lord Mayor’s Medals. Their selfless acts of commitment to the communities of Bristol, has been so rightly recognised in this ceremony, with each and every awardee demonstrating a unique dedication to helping others and supporting the people of this city.
“These awards are a timely reminder of the resilient Bristolian spirit, and shine a light on the volunteers, fundraisers, and charity organisations across Bristol. I am grateful for the incredible work that they do to make our city a better place.’
A full list of this year's Lord Mayor's Medals recipients is available to view here.
