Kamran presented with national youth work award at Houses of Parliament

A YOUNG man who used to hang around in the park causing a nuisance but now persuades youngsters to avoid joining gangs was presented with an award at the Houses of Parliament. Kamran Hussain, from Whitechapel, won a top award presented by the Rathbone c

A YOUNG man who used to hang around in the park causing a nuisance but now persuades youngsters to avoid joining gangs was presented with an award at the Houses of Parliament.

Kamran Hussain, from Whitechapel, won a top award presented by the Rathbone charity which works with 15,000 young people at 74 centres up and down the country.

His award was presented by Schools and Learning Minister Vernon Coaker last night.

Nineteen-year-old Kamran met staff from Lifetracks, a youth programme run by a range of charities and organisations including Rathbone, to help young people move on to work or college.

He told them he felt under pressure to gain the respect of his peers and felt he lacked the skills he needed to get ahead in life.

Since then he has got involved in volunteering which helped to boost his self esteem as he put something back into his community and has ambitions to become a full time youth worker.

He has contributed to workshops on gang culture anti-social behaviour and good citizenship and gained qualifications in health and safety at work and first aid at work.