Brixton Soup Kitchen founder Dr Mahamed Hashi has won this year’s Local Government Information Unit Community Champion Award for local councillors.
He was chosen for the award from councillors across Britain by a panel of council leaders and chief executives and received it at the unit’s CCLA Councillor Achievement Awards ceremony in London’s Guildhall last night (6 November).
LGIU said Dr Hashi, who was elected for Labour in Lambeth’s Stockwell ward in May this year, had impressed judges with “his boundless energy and the wide range of work that he is involved in, which includes helping homeless people, working with gangs and working on committees to advise the police about local issues”.
The judges highlighted the difficulties of being a councillor in a challenging community environment.
They said Dr Hashi’s level of involvement was exemplified by the injury he sustained when he was shot trying to break up a fight.
Since then, he has organised initiatives like New Beginnings Youth Provision that was launched in July 2013. It looks at educating, elevating and empowering young people by giving them the tools and knowledge they need to make the right choices.
This is done mainly by outreach work with people on the street and estates as well as by networking and connecting with other community organisations.
Dr Hashi is involved with many other community groups including leading roles in the Lambeth Safer Neighbourhood Board, the Independent Advisory Group for Lambeth police, and the Community Network Forum.
He is co-chair of the Lambeth Stop and Search Monitoring Group, a member of the Black Mental Health Commission in Lambeth, the Lambeth Community Police Consultative Group, the Pan-London Community Monitoring Network, the Independent Custody Visitors group, the Deaths in Custody Panel, and the London Probation Trust Serious Group Offending Forum
As well as these, he is involved in a number of police advisory groups including the Territorial Support Community Reference Group, the Special Select Committee for Stop and Search and the Public Order Community Reference Group.
Dr Hashi also has an MSc in forensic science and a PHD in youth and community work.
Dr Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of LGIU, said: “It’s fantastic to hear stories of local councillors working selflessly for the community, bringing real benefits to residents. Cllr Dr. Mahamed Hashi has demonstrated huge talent and dedication.
“The outstanding quality of the nominations we received this year stands as a testament to the exceptional job many councillors are doing for their community.”
The Councillor Achievement Awards ceremony is the only national to recognise the efforts of councillors from across the political spectrum.
Lambeth councillor Jackie Meldrum, who represents Knight’s Hill, also won the community champion award in 2015.
LGIU is a think tank working with local councils, other public service providers and other public, private and third sector organisations.
CCLA is a specialist fund manager for local authorities and charities and is owned by its clients.
