Mayor’s Volunteer Community Award for LEAH volunteer Janet

On Monday 18th March, Janet MacKay, our longest standing volunteer of over 20 years, was presented with a Volunteer Community Award by the Mayor of Kingston.  Attending with her husband and LEAH Coordinator, Kay Bascombe, Janet was delighted to receive her framed certificate of achievement.

“It was a great honour to be nominated. Volunteering for LEAH makes me feel part of the community and I hope that through teaching women English, they feel part of the community too”.

Janet’s story is a remarkable one. In 2004 she saw a poster at her son’s school asking for LEAH volunteers to teach English. Over the years, Janet’s students have been from North and South Korea, Sudan, China, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and Syria. And all with one thing in common – the desire to learn English and settle into their local communities.

Janet has supported students with multiple challenges – some who have been trafficked to the UK, students with mental health issues or women who may have very low literacy levels due to a lack of education in their home country.

As well as the teaching she provides to our students, Janet also provides a lot of support to other volunteers, sharing her skills and experiences at training sessions or volunteer meetings.

Janet's dedication to LEAH and our students is inspirational. Having a long-standing volunteer of her calibre means so much. and we are delighted that was recognised through the Mayor of Kingston’s Community Award.