Councillors and prize winners gathered at Hackney Town Hall for the awards event    Pic: Begum Whitehead

A retired community nurse from Hackney, whose volunteer work over the past 20 years has helped many people, won the I Love Hackney Mayor’s Civic Award on Wednesday, one of three women to win the awards.

Barbara Layne, who first started volunteering by visiting vulnerable and isolated older residents in the borough and is now involved in many community initiatives, won alongside Salmah Kansara and Ngozi Headley-Fulani.

Salmah Kansara is the Services Development Manager at the Ihsan Children’s Centre based at the North London Muslim Community Centre.

The Centre provides support for families, carers and the children between the ages of 0-5, to ensure that they all are given the maximum opportunity to achieve positive outcomes in their lives.

Ngozi Headley-Fulani, who asked her daughters to join her in collecting her award, set up Sistah Space in 2015 to support women and girls of African heritage who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse and those who have lost loved ones to domestic violence. It is also a safe space for women to go.

As well as advice and support, Sistah Space provides practical help by providing hygiene products, such as sanitary pads, pants, bras, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps and other essential items.

Councillors and members of Hackney community all gathered in Hackney’s grand Town Hall for an evening of celebration.

The Third Annual I Love Hackney Mayor’s Civic Awards took place on May 23 to celebrate individuals in the community who have made a significant contribution to their neighbourhood and made Hackney a better place to live. The awards were presented by Mayor Phillip Glanville.

Last year’s winners were Janette Collins, founder of The Crib youth project, Bobby Kasanga, founder of Hackney Wick FC, and charity fundraiser, Felicia Ogunleye.

Mayor Phillip Glanville spoke about the significance of events like this, he said: “It’s really important to celebrate the borough’s community champions, who go above and beyond to make Hackney the great place that it is today.

These awards not only help us recognise the achievements and efforts of these extraordinary residents but will hopefully inspire more people to get involved with volunteering and community action to help make a lasting difference to Hackney.”