Meet our Stars in the Community

We received many nominations from local residents who wanted to say thank you and well done to neighbours who go above and beyond to benefit their community.

Stars in the Community award winners on the night were Alex and Hani who set up a food bank in Weston during lockdown. The duo were spurred into action after discovering some members of their local community were going hungry. So, in their own time and using their own money, Alex and Hani set up a team to serve free food to Weston’s most vulnerable residents. Talking to local shops and restaurants they secured donations of food to pass on to those who were really struggling, and at their peak the team was feeding 100 people a day. They even organised 400 chocolate Easter eggs and hundreds of Christmas presents for local youngsters.

Alex and Hani provided a lifeline for many households during the pandemic and are still delivering food to the most vulnerable and housebound today. Their hard work and generosity is much appreciated, with one Weston resident calling the food bank “invaluable”. Currently the team (Southampton Community Connect) are collecting clothing donations for newly arrived refugees in the city. For more information, search for ‘Southampton Community Connect’ on Facebook.

Although Alex and Hani were crowned as the winners of the Stars in The Community award, we received many other worthy contenders:

• Shirley from Bitterne was nominated for her work creating a wonderful community garden and for running fun, social events for her neighbourhood including a VE Party, a garden party and a minibus day out for residents.
• Julia from Northam arranged for FareShare food to be delivered to her flat on Fridays and Sundays, which she then distributed to anyone in need on the estate. As a Block Rep, she’s always making sure everyone’s okay and helping with their problems.
• Joao from Golden Grove set up a community group called Golden Leaves to encourage neighbours to work together to plant flowers, pick up leaves and care for the area. Although busy with a full-time job, Joao spends his weekends helping people with their gardens and even does odd jobs like fixing blinds.
• Veronica from Thornhill volunteers at a local school to help children with reading difficulties. She is incredibly caring towards others and also encourages her neighbours to use the correct recycling bins by printing refuse collection calendars.
• Sarah from Golden Grove keeps the estate looking lovely by planting colourful flowers, cutting back bushes and weeding in communal areas. She also cleans the estate bin areas and works tirelessly to make the area better for local residents.
• Kate from Thornhill has transformed her block by planting colourful flowers and building wooden flower beds. She regularly cleans and tidies the rear yard, creating a lovely sociable place for residents to relax and for kids to play. Because of Kate the block is exceptionally clean, encouraging other residents to take pride in their local area.

Check online for full details about the award nominees, and to read all the presentations made at the conference.