Community and Business Champions Recognized at Awards Ceremony

Individuals including charity workers, volunteers, and business owners were recognized for their contributions to their local communities at an awards event. The Multicultural Business & Community Champion Awards (MBCC) ceremony, held in Birmingham, paid tribute to both lesser-known contributors and prominent local figures. Among the honorees, Benjamin Zephaniah’s family accepted a posthumous accolade for the poet, while Alison Hammond was presented with an inspirational role model award by singer Beverley Knight. The yearly MBCC awards were established in 2016 by Zoe Bennett, a resident of Sutton Coldfield, following the murder of her father, Errol, in Jamaica in 2011. Ms. Bennett stated that her father’s death at 59 years old motivated her to create the awards. Addressing the audience, she declared: “My dad was my hero and I wanted to recognise other people who do so much for others. “My mission was to focus on the people that make a difference in both the business and general community. “People who go out their way to help others selflessly without wanting any praise or thanks. This is for all the unsung heroes here tonight. Thank you for being here.” Comedian Judi Love and soul legend Omar co-hosted the event, which recognized individuals across 20 distinct categories. Chef Levi Roots was presented with an honorary inspirational entrepreneur award. Reflecting on his appearance on Dragons’ Den, he commented: “I remember the day so vividly.”I was told ‘don’t sing,’ but I took my guitar with me… and here we are.” Award recipients recounted their motivational experiences upon receiving their accolades. Natasha Broomfield-Reid, hailing from Coventry, was acknowledged for her efforts in integrating diversity within professional environments and educational institutions. Ms. Broomfield-Reid, who serves as the director of the consultancy firm Diverse Matters, secured the excellence in diversity and inclusion category award. She stated: “I love what I do in supporting organisations and individuals to ensure that there are inclusive cultures and processes in place, teams feel supported and reducing any gaps, inequalities or disadvantage.” Alison Hammond, aged 49, expressed an emotional apology to her 19-year-old son, Aidan. The personality from This Morning and Great British Bake Off remarked: “I love you so much son and I’m sorry I haven’t always been there but I’ll be honest with you, the reason I was doing it was only for you.” She further commented: “I’m getting emotional as I don’t normally get recognised for things like this.“So thank you for recognising me, it means the absolute world to me.” Kadi Wilson, a Wolverhampton native, was honored in the outstanding senior leader category. The co-owner of Dime Studios received recognition for her inspirational role within the community and her dedication to fostering new talents. She commented: “I’m so shocked but grateful as well for winning this wonderful award. I’ve never won anything before, being able to help people is reward in itself.” Paula Hemmings, representing Ebony Hikers, secured the health and wellbeing champion award for organizing walks specifically for individuals of black ethnic backgrounds. Ms. Hemmings, who resides in Sandwell, stated: “It means the world to us to have won the award because since 2020 Ebony Hikers have worked tirelessly to get people of black ancestry accessing the outdoors and accessing spaces where we don’t typically see other people who look like us.” Updates from BBC Birmingham are available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.