A woman who fled the civil war in Uganda to form a charity is among several Brent and Kilburn based recipients of a New Year Honour.
Jennifer Ogole, who formed BANG Edutainment, has been awarded an OBE in the list announced today (January 1) for services to young people.
She is joined on the roll of honour by Ian Livingstone, Jason Swettenham, Stephen Chamberlain, and Rajesh Makwana.
Born in Uganda, Jennifer and her family arrived as asylum seekers in the mid-1980s and moved to the Stonebridge Estate in Brent. This experience would pave the way for her looking to start a charity to help people with disadvantaged backgrounds.
BANG is now widely recognised and respected as a youth-led organisation that develops and delivers engaging programmes for young people that builds their personal and professional skills.
Jennifer said: “I am thrilled and deeply honoured to have been awarded this prestigious accolade.
“It is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of all those who have helped me make BANG what it is today: one of the UK’s leading youth charities.”
Willesden Green's Baroness Valerie Amos, 67, a Labour member of the House of Lords, is the first Black person appointed to the Order of the Garter.
The appointment, which can only be made by the Queen, is one of three being made at the end of the year, the others being former prime minister Tony Blair, who made Baroness Amos a life peer in 1997 and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Jason Swettenham, who lives in the NW10 area, will receive an MBE.
The HM Prison and Probation Service chief will be presented the honour for his services to sport. In 2018 he initiated a partnership with former Arsenal vice chairman David Dein, enlisting many other high-profile figures from media and sport, and launched a charitable foundation known as The Twinning Project.
Also on the list is Stephen Chamberlain who founded St Laurence’s Larder and Open Kitchen - a service that helps people in need in Willesden Lane. Stephen will get a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community in Brent, particularly during Covid-19.
The Rise Partnership Trust's CEO and executive headteacher, Jayne Jardine, has been made an MBE for services to education and SEND (special education needs and disability).
She said it was a "real honour", adding: "While I am accepting this award as an individual, my work would not be possible without the support of our trust’s incredibly dedicated team, from governors and trustees, to therapists, teachers, class room support staff, and everyone else who plays such an integral role to the phenomenal provision our trust offers our pupils and their families."
Also receiving a BEM is Rajesh Makwana - who works with Sufra NW London - an organisation which addresses both the causes and consequences of extreme poverty, homelessness and social isolation in the Brent community. He will earn the medal for his services to Brent, particularly during the pandemic.
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