On Thursday 14th November, Caritas Westminster hosted the third Diocese of Westminster ‘Love in Action’ Volunteering Awards, recognising volunteers from across the diocese for outstanding commitment to voluntary service. Meet this year’s winners below.
Parish Social Action Award
Winner: Yasko Kurahachi
Yasko volunteers at Farm Street Church in Mayfair, where she founded a Soup Run that involves taking trolleys of food, clothing and toiletries to the local homeless. She continues to serve in this ministry after several years, and what stands out about Yasko is the love and respect that she shows to the people she serves. Her nominator said: ‘She is committed to them as individuals,’ adding that she takes care to cater to each person’s preference, and for specific requests will often pay for items herself.
She has had a profound effect on both the local homeless community and her fellow volunteers: Philip, one of the project’s beneficiaries, ‘lights up’ whenever he sees Yasko, while other volunteers have followed her example in seeking to form relationships with those they serve.
Parish Social Action Team Award
Winners: CLCC Homeless Project Volunteers
The Central London Catholic Churches (CLCC) began in April 2020, in response to the closure of shops and day centres for the homeless at the start of the pandemic. Started as an emergency task force serving drinks and snacks in Trafalgar Square, by October 2020 it had transformed into a restaurant-style lunch service, open twice a week at the London Jesuit Centre. Today, the CLCC operates at full capacity, serving over 100 guests per week and including a free lending library, board games, plus a weekly haircut service and Scripture study.
They also run the Cana Lounge Café opened in November 2023, born from an idea by a CLCC guest and now training socially disadvantaged individuals to help them find work. What started as a group of 8 volunteers is now an established local initiative with over 60 active volunteers – and new efforts are being made to grow their own food and become more sustainable for the future.
Young Volunteer of the Year Award
Winner: Kai Shah
At 11 years old, Kai has already demonstrated a love for volunteering and keenness to serve those in need. For two years he has volunteered regularly at Maverick Humanity, an initiative that supports homeless and vulnerable populations. He helps with preparing and serving meals, engaging and interacting with the homeless, and even ran an educational workshop alongside the organisation’s CEO.
During school holidays, Kai also travels to Camden to serve the charity’s project there. His nominator said: ‘all the people impacted… find Kai to be wise beyond his years and selfless. He particularly loves seeing the homeless get new haircuts and has fun with them. He says he would like it if other people did the same for those in need.’
Primary School Social Action Award
Winners: St George’s Caritas Ambassadors
These six students in Years 3-6 may be small in number, but they have made a significant impact on the lives of many people. The Caritas Ambassadors have been supporting a homeless charity called Hands On, Hands Out, and have demonstrably linked their work with many of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
As a result of their Easter Appeal, the Ambassadors raised over £200 worth of gift cards to local coffee shops, as well as Easter Eggs, chocolate, and biscuits for local homeless people. They also set up a ‘Caritas Pops’ ice-cream stall at their school’s Summer Fayre; the money raised was used to purchase clothing and hygiene products for the homeless.
Secondary School Social Action Award
Winners: St Charles Chaplaincy Team
Ava-Hayne, Lulia, Lauren, Tamona and Farrah are Sixth Form students at St Charles Sixth Form College, who have volunteered weekly at St. Charles Primary School as part of an initiative to strengthen bonds within the local Catholic community. They have dedicated hours of their time to supporting their younger counterparts’ literacy and numeracy skills, and in some cases provided additional care to meet the growing needs of the young students.
They also shared their personal experiences with the Year 6 students, communicating in a relatable way to help ease any anxieties they may have about transitioning to secondary school. Their nominator emphasizes that their ‘small but consistent acts of kindness go a long way in building self-confidence, resilience, and most importantly comfort’ for the children they work with.
St Thérèse of Lisieux Award
Joint winners: Cathy Russo & Teresa Lawrence-Hyde
Cathy (right) has been volunteering at Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Bethnal Green for 25 years, fulfilling a range of duties big and small. She oversees church cleaning, coordinates tea and coffee after Mass, and organises special events like quiz nights, community potlucks, jumble sales, fundraisers and more. Cathy also serves on the Parish Council and was formerly involved in Children’s Liturgy, and parishioners fondly recall the children’s Nativity Plays she organised. Her nominator writes: ‘Cathy’s actions are always infused with love and a spirit of service… She has a unique talent for identifying needs and quietly fulfilling them without seeking recognition or praise.’
Teresa (left) has volunteered at Our Lady Immaculate & St Andrew Parish in Hitchin for over 14 years, and her service revolves around bringing people to the Lord, and the Lord to the people! She volunteers as lead catechist for First Holy Communion candidates, and assisted with online Baptism and Confirmation courses during the pandemic. Teresa is the only volunteer member of the parish’s pastoral team, and is also involved in Children’s Liturgy and training Eucharistic Ministers. She regularly takes Communion to the sick and housebound, and her nominator notes that ‘she not only takes the Lord; she gives of her time cheerfully and brings joy and peace to all those she visits.’
St Thérèse of Lisieux Team Award
Winners: Westminster SVP Vinnie Pack Team
In winter of 2011, the SVP began distributing 1,000 of its so-called ‘Vinnie packs,’ containing cold-weather essentials like gloves and socks, hygiene items and more, to people on the streets. By 2013, 12,000 Vinnie packs were being given out across England and Wales. A few years later, with help from Caritas and then a generous contractor, the project expanded and took on a life of its own, and is now in its 14th year.
To deliver the packs, two volunteers, and a dog called Logan, set off in a van on a four-night trip to deliver bulk orders to each diocese. The team’s nominator notes: ‘Fiascos have included tying the tailgate on with rope, getting the van stuck under a bridge in South Wales one night,’ and being told to climb over the wall of a gated housing complex in Liverpool. The founding members of the project are still involved, and the core team of six people now works with hundreds of SVP volunteers.
Ron Palmer Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Mary Foster
A parishioner at Our Lady of Grace and St Edward’s in Chiswick for over 50 years, Mary’s nominator notes that she ‘has combined her being a wife, mother and local businesswoman with an ever-outward vision to assist and improve the lives of others.’ Her service to the parish dates back to the 1980s, during which time she has helped with Parenting Classes for new parents, bereavement counselling, and co-founded the Parish Bereavement Group, as well as being an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
Outside of the parish, Mary was also a co-founding Trustee of Acton Homeless Concern, which is now in its 35th year. At 83, she continues to be responsible for the charity’s provision to women and children. Mary’s nominator says it best: ‘She is an icon of Love in Action.’
Want to meet all of this year’s finalists? Click here.
Find out more about volunteering here.