BBC’s ‘Make A Difference’ awards recognise remarkable people and organisations for their achievements and contributions to lives in their communities.

‘Make A Difference’ was first set up at the start of the first pandemic lockdown as a virtual notice board for those offering help and those needing support. To date, the BBC says over 8 Million people have interacted across all 39 local BBC radio stations.

There are eight award categories which honour the unsung heroes.

At a splendid Make a Difference awards ceremony hosted recently by the local BBC 3 Counties Radio Station, GRASSROOTS Luton received Highly Commended “The Together” Category Award. This award is given for breaking down barriers and bringing together people from different walks of life.

The Award Citation read as following;

In addition to bringing people together from different religious and cultural backgrounds since 1991, GRASSROOTS Luton, has received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Fairtrade Foundation, UK for Making Luton a Fairtrade Town involving Churches, Mosques, Hindu & Sikh Temples and Synagogues. It promotes biodegradable cutlery in multi-faith multicultural events.

GRASSROOTS enabled 3,000 people to connect with nature through ‘Faith Woodlands Communities’ Project. It addresses environmental concerns by turning neglected green spaces into peace gardens.

Through NEAR NEIGHBOURS Programme, it has rolled out 4 youth leadership & 36 sessions of ‘Real People Honest Talks’ and 3 Big Community Conversations in which Luton’s diverse communities have talked about difficult issues.

It has held 8 Global Exchange programmes between UK & Syria, Egypt, Mongolia, Philippines Indonesia, Sweden and Norway.

As a progenitor of Luton Council of Faiths (LCoF), GRASSROOTS has consistently supported and resourced its work and has helped organise 26 Annual Peace Walks so far, involving hundreds of people, school pupils and teachers over the years.

GRASSROOTS has earned goodwill and respect through its ‘response-ability’ by;

a) organising Press Conferences & Statements, Peace & Prayer Vigils in response to global & national terror attacks,

b) deploying and supporting effective ‘Community Mediation’ whenever tensions are provoked by extremists

c) highlighting positive work in Faith Matters Column in the weekly Luton News.

In celebrating 30th years of its remarkable services, GRASSROOTS is commended for this prestigious award.

The Revd Canon David Lawson, Chair of GRASSROOTS Luton said, “It is great to have been nominated and shortlisted for this award. Thank you to all my past and present fellow trustees for their continuing and significant support and contribution to the work of Grassroots over the years. Thank you to all the past and present staff; without their hard work this Award will not be possible.”

He added, “Mindful of all that is facing our world today, it is critical that Grassroots continues to be a sign of hope through the work it does to promote justice, peace and reconciliation. The oft-quoted saying is as relevant as ever: ‘Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.’

In a message BBC 3 Counties Radio said, “Thank you for joining us at the Make a Difference Awards. These awards are our chance to say thank you to people who do so much to improve the lives of others where we live. Every day, we share the stories and experiences of those who make a real difference in our communities. These stories are heard by people of all ages, and from all walks of life, some of whom might need help and support themselves or simply need a better understanding of issues through shared experience. We hope you enjoyed the awards ceremony and thank you for making a difference.”

GRASSROOTS Luton receives Highly Commended BBC 3 Counties Radio Make a Difference Award