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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 2nd August 2007

Honours should go to our community champions

An open letter from the Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Anyone looking to find out about the people making a difference to their local communities will find them on the pages of the local press.
Recent events have shown us that there are people in every community willing to take heroic action to help their neighbours.
But it is not just in times of crisis that people are helping their neighbours and striving to make their communities better places to live.
The mothers and fathers helping with the local football team, lending a hand at their school, running sports days, helping with Comic Relief fundraising, joining the local campaigns to reduce waste or recycle or improve pavements and parks.
Young people running activities for their peers, mentoring younger pupils, collecting toys or clothes for children who need them more: their energy, their ideas, their devotion everyday changing our country.
Across Britain, I have been inspired and uplifted by the people I have met who have given willingly of their time to build a better society for us all.
It is right to celebrate and reward all those people who make a difference.
I believe the honours system should recognise and celebrate the contribution of people making a difference in their own communities.
Currently only 40 per cent of honours are for services to the local community. I believe that this figure should be substantially higher.
That is why I am asking all local newspapers, local radio stations and regional television stations to make it known that in future the honours system will celebrate more everyday heroes and to invite their readers to submit nominations that can be fully considered.
Details of how to do this can be found at: www.honours.gov.uk
For future years the aim will be for a significant majority of honours to go to local community champions who are making a difference in schools, youth clubs, hospitals, charities, and faith groups throughout Britain.
We will also ensure that community champion awards are available not only to the individuals who are community leaders but to the organisations which are making a difference.
So alongside the MBE award we will be raising the profile of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, recognising the contribution of community groups.
We invite nominations for this award by September 30 this year. More information can be found at:
www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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