Youth Foundation hands out awards

Tower Hamlets Youth Sport Foundation recognised some of the borough’s burgeoning sporting talent at its third annual awards evening.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce, former England cricket captain Graham Gooch and World badminton champion and Olympic medalist Gail Emms were special guests at the glittering event, but he youngsters took centre stage.

Scarlett Mew-Jenson, 13, won the diving performer of the year prize having already represented her borough and country in the full GB team, while Olivia Piechota took the overall female performer of the year honours for her achievements in judo.

Piechota is currently the top-ranked British judoka in her age group, while Denzel Akhigbe took the male para athlete of the year prize after his gold-medal winning effort of 2.43 metres in the standing long jump at the 2014 London Youth Games.

Jodi Jones took the overall male performer of the year prize having become the youngest-ever player to represent Dagenham & Redbridge in the Football League this season, having signed weeks after his 17th birthday.

Three special awards were also introduced, including an outstanding contribution to sport in Tower Hamlets which went to Alf Vickers for the valuable work he has done with up-and-coming talent in the borough for a number of years.

The Most Improved performer awards for male and female students of Primary School age were presented to Edward Fall from St Mary & St Michael’s and Fabbihah Yasmin-Ali from Marion Richardson.

Sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Curriers, this award recognised two young athletes with identifiable talent and very promising careers ahead of them.

A Foundation spokesperson said: “It is with the generous support of our sponsors that the Tower Hamlets Youth Sport Foundation are able to reach so many young people in the borough, and the Foundation would like to extend its thanks to all those who supported the evening.”

Awards were also sponsored by Chaucer, Hampden and the Worshipful Company of Coopers, while many other generous supporters attended the fundraising dinner that followed the event.

Chris Dunne, Chair of Trustees for the Tower Hamlets Youth Sport Foundation, said: “The young people being celebrated at the presentation evening should be proud to not only act as role models to other young people in the borough, but also as living proof that young people everywhere are capable of fantastic achievements when given opportunities like those offered by the Foundation.

“To overlook such clear examples of engaged and focused young people is to do them a huge disservice.”