Leadership comes in many forms. Whether it’s supporting teammates, influencing decision-makers or taking on additional responsibilities, this category celebrates the young people who are blazing a trail and bringing their friends, schools and communities along with them. 

Congratulations to Hannah, Leadership: Trailblazer of the Year winner!

Hannah

Hannah Chowdhry, 19, has a passion for volunteering. She wants to help out her community, give back whenever she can, and reach out to others. She is an advocate of treating all people from all backgrounds – from people experiencing homelessness to millionaires – with the same respect, decency and compassion.

"I think more young people should volunteer, because it improves different skills: building confidence and improving communication skills."

At the age of 16, Hannah decided to address the growing homelessness issue in Ilford, which she noticed when she volunteered on some monthly community events with the British Asian Christian Association as part of her DofE. She became not only the youngest member of the group, but a project manager.   

"I think tackling loneliness is another important part of my homelessness project. Conversing with someone over good food – this is an important part of life."

Her dedication reached new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she put her own health on the line to assist at a daily project serving homeless people. As her GCSEs were cancelled, she took it upon herself to complete various courses, such as risk assessment, safeguarding (vulnerable adults), mental health awareness, food safety and fire warden training.