Jack Petchey awards go to 115 East End pupils for special achievement

Award winners Abdullah Seraj and Kirsty Goodwin (Image: Jack Petchey Foundation)

The annual event at the People’s Palace in Mile End honoured pupils as young as 11 with medallions and certificates who had been nominated by their peers and leaders.

Viktoriya, 16, possesses “an innate community spirit” helping her classmates at Stepney’s Bishop Challoner Girls with their schoolwork.

“She tirelessly helps those in her class who struggle to understand lessons,” Jack Petchey Trust coordinator Stella Campbell said. “She helpfully explains and suggests how they could move on with their learning.”

Abdullah Seraj, an 11-year-old first-year pupil at Stepney Green Maths & Computing College, never gives up what he starts which has inspired his classmates.

He has been recognised as a good helper who stands up for his friends as a form rep communicating issues to his Head of Year which leads to improvements for the whole school.

Kirsty Goodwin, 12, from George Green’s on the Isle of Dogs, comes in to school early every morning and helps with little jobs.

She “puts effort into everything she does” and when she’s not helping around the school can be found quietly working on her homework.

Petchey Trust’s Deborah Ferry said: “This is one lovely student who just gets on with it and thoroughly deserves to be recognised.”

The foundation has awarded £5 million to youth organisations in Tower Hamlets alone in the past 15 years through its Special Achievement awards.

Four adults were also given Leader awards at the People’s Palace event for inspiring motivating young people.