Haringey's Brightstars are European Diversity Awards Community Project of the Year 2021

By Brian Leveson
•
20 Dec, 2021
•

The European Diversity Awards has recognised Haringey based “Brightstars” Autistic club as their “Community Project of the Year” for 2021 during a ceremony held at the incredibly posh Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, London.

International recognition

The highly regarded European Diversity Awards has recognised Haringey based “Brightstars” Autistic club as their “Community Project of the Year” for 2021, sponsored by German Company Deutsche Post during a ceremony held at the incredibly posh Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, London. The European Diversity Awards were set up in 2010 to recognise leaders and organisations who are driving forward needs for change towards a more equal, diverse and inclusive world.

Shocked and awesome!

Brightstars founders Suezanne Awotwi and Vida Black were in total shock at winning the awards. Suezanne dedicated the award to the clubs amazing members and said “I was speechless for a minute when I heard Brightstars announced as winners”. She went on to thank the ‘incredible’ tutors and volunteers as well as the clubs families for their ‘unshakeable’ support from day one.

The founders first thoughts are for their member and those they have helped

Brightstars started in 2014 when life-long friends by Suezanne and Vida who used their savings to give the local community in Haringey a club where autistic children can go and be safe away from home with or without their mums and dads. They started with 4 drums and 2 members, they now have help over 20 members and 30 parents and carers.

A very proud patron asks "What are you doing to co-create the society that you’d like to live in?"

The charity's patron, Justine Lutterodt, who attended the awards said “This is what leadership looks like. Suezanne Awotwi and Vida Black are classic changemakers and role models to us all”

“They have worked tirelessly on top of their day jobs to support young people with autism – first by founding Brightstars in the UK, and now by launching Brightstars in Ghana”.

“They saw a problem, took ownership for finding a solution, and followed through with action”.

“What are you doing to co-create the society that you’d like to live in? Or to support others who are leading the way?”

Vita Black has also runs the Haringey Parent Carer Forum group, which is a long established support group for parent carers in Haringey.

For more information

https://brightstarsspecialclub.com/

https://www.europeandiversityawards.com/winners-2021

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