Outstanding local volunteers were recently presented with BATCA Community Awards, for their exceptional service to the community.

The celebrations took place on Thursday 24^th November at Jasmin’s Club on Tooting High Street and the event was attended by 200 Balham and Tooting residents, community groups and faith leaders. 

This was the fifth round of awards since the Balham and Tooting Community Association (BATCA) was established in 2006. BATCA was formed after the London bombings,  to help all Balham and Tooting’s communities come together and to build trust and friendships. Every year since, this community association has came together and built flourishing relationships and networks with faith leaders, businesses, public sector bodies and individuals of the community, and together they have organised many great events.

Individual awards were given to Dennis Gallagher, Bernadette Khan, Isabella Larkin (who is only 16 years old), Nasir Mohamud, AyaazNiazi, Monique Roseberg (who is 87 years old), Bobby Singh and Lynn Shannon. Their work includes support for young people at risk in the Somali community, championing BME women’s rights and LGBT rights, helping children behind in reading, relief work for Nepal earthquake victims, helping disabled children in Pakistan, supporting deaf women facing domestic violence, and work benefiting parents of sick children in St George’s Hospital.

The team awards went to Tooting Park Rangers football coaches, Little Village (which helps families in need), The Iman Hussein Blood Donation Campaign Team and the Wandsworth Salvation Army. A special award was given to The Renal Team at St George’s Hospital.

The awards were presented by Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP for Tooting; Councillor Richard Field, Mayor of Wandsworth; Chief Supt Richard Smith, Metropolitan Police Borough Commander; Dan Watkins, Conservative Parliamentary spokesman for Tooting; Councillors Fleur Anderson and Sarah McDermott; Indrajit Patel, Chairman of the Tooting Business Network; and special guest Lord Bird of Notting Hill, founder of the Big Issue.

All praised the contribution of volunteer effort to the life of Balham and Tooting and emphasised the importance of community.

The evening also celebrated BATCA’s 10th birthday. Entertainment was provided by the Great Gustos Community Choir, led by Denise Broad, and the dancer Priya Patel. The evening finished with dinner from Dawat Restaurant. 

The organisers are grateful for grant support from Wandsworth Borough Council and generous sponsorship from Dawat Restaurant, St Augustine’s and Holy Trinity churches, Tooting and others. Extra donations were made and pledged by many on the night, prizes were auctioned and up and coming fundraising events were mentioned. All money will go towards the BATCA organisation.

Well done to the wonderful team of BATCA for organising such a great event. Well done to Fred Ahmed, Nisar Bawany, Kate Allan, Ali Jaffri and Suky Karim, and the compere Rahim Jung. 

If you would like to find out more about BATCA, then please visit their website here.