Nadiya Charity Wins Mayor's Awards for Refugee Resettlement Efforts
In a heartwarming celebration of community service and dedication, Nadiya clinched two prestigious awards at the recent Mayor's Awards ceremony in Milton Keynes, held on the 1st of March. The city’s most respected parties and individuals recognized Nadiya’s outstanding contributions to the local community, with us suprisingly emerging as one of the night's biggest winners.
The charity's co-founder, the 19-year-old Anna, was honored with the "Diversity and Inclusion Award" for her tireless efforts in promoting empowerment among refugees in the UK. Anna's passion for making a difference has been instrumental in shaping the charity's ethos and impact, garnering well-deserved recognition from the local people.
Our Co - Founder Anna with her proud mother Halyna
Adding to the jubilation, Nadiya Charity itself was bestowed with the prestigious "Mayor's Award," the highest accolade of the ceremony. This recognition is a testament to the organisation's significant contributions to the Milton Keynes community and its unwavering commitment to refugee resettlement all over the UK.
Reflecting on the momentous occasion, Anna stated: "I want to ask every one of you to still support Ukraine, its people here in the UK and back in Ukraine, because we are not on the first pages of the media anymore, let’s face it. That’s why we really really need your support. If you’d like to help somehow - contact us and we’ll tell you how”
The awards ceremony also provided a valuable networking opportunity for Nadiya Charity, fostering connections with other esteemed organisations and busniesses such as YMCA, Hazard Alley, Alt Street Property Letting Agency, MK-ACT, and Energie Fitness Gym and others. The event served as a platform for collaboration and exchange, reaffirming Nadiya Charity's commitment to forging meaningful partnerships in its mission to support refugees.
At our final speech, our co-founder Derek said to the audience: “We’ve only been a team for a very short space of time. It started with Anna, me and Anna’s mum Halyna. We traveled back from Poland-Ukraine border together. Halyna said in the back, listening to Rock music which she hated, we sat in the front, listening to Rock music which we loved, and we created this charity. What we’d ask for tonight is sponsors, we need people to host Ukrainian families in their homes. You will all see a mural that has been put on my house. I’ve broken planning regulations, but it’s there for a reason. It will be taken down professionally in the end. The other thing we are looking for is landlords. We are housing people, not just Ukrainians now, we’ve moved on to other refugee groups. We’ve housed our first British family just before Christmas - a mum and three boys, who were homeless. Thank you everybody, but please, look into your hearts, find us sponsors, find us landlords. You know how to contact us. Please do. We are desperate.”
Co - Founders Anna and Derek with our Project Manager Nadiia
For the small yet passionate team at Nadiya Charity, the awards represent not only a moment of celebration but also a renewed sense of purpose and determination to continue making a positive impact in the lives of refugees and the wider community. As we look to the future, Nadiya remains steadfast in its resolve to build a more inclusive and compassionate society, one deserving of the country’s recognition.