Colin Jackson honours Shaw Trust's Shining STARS
Sporting legend Colin Jackson CBE handed out awards to winners from across the country at Shaw Trust's glittering STAR AWARDS ceremony in London on November 7th.Short-listed nominees joined staff and VIPs at The Café Royal for a ceremony hosted by writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe to celebrate the achievements of twelve worthy winners.
Among them was a Lincolnshire lad who was on the verge of getting chucked out of school, a theme park Maintenance Manager who has nurtured another troubled teen into a success story, and a Suffolk gran who shrugged off severe health problems to launch a new career helping others.
West Midlands Police were also rewarded for a trail-blazing employment project for people with disabilities which looks set to be copied in forces across the country. Shaw Trust Chief Executive Ian Charlesworth's Special Recognition Award went to BT, BUPA, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, Merrill Lynch, Unum Provident, Business in the Community and Employers Forum on Disability. This marks their role as the Trust's Mental Health Campaign Partners, which resulted in a powerful report Mental Health: The Last Workplace Taboo.
Among other winners, single mum of two Bev Wood admits she could barely walk to the stage to receive her Employee STAR award from Colin Jackson. "I was shaking so much I thought I was going to collapse and I still haven't come down to earth," said Bev, who works as an Initial Contact Co-ordinator at Shaw Trust's Hounslow office.
"The STAR Awards are our biggest and brightest event of the year," said Ian Charlesworth, Chief Executive of Shaw Trust. "Every single one of the people we work with is remarkable, and their achievements are truly inspirational. These Awards give us a chance to celebrate some of them.
"Their motivational stories are examples of the superb work done every day by Shaw Trust, its clients and its partners. But they represent more than that. They are milestones on the way to the future we want to build; one without prejudice, or barriers."
Former Olympic athlete Colin Jackson CBE admits he felt humbled by the superhuman efforts he heard about. "Many of these people face hurdles every single day," says world record holder Colin, 39, "I remember feeling like the end of the world had come when I pulled a hamstring when I was competing and couldn't run for six weeks. In reality, that's absolutely nothing compared to what these people face on a daily basis. A hefty dose of realism like that brings you bang down to earth."
"Every single person in the room knew that they have achieved a great deal. Their sense of pride was palpable," he says.
