London Citizens member Schools scoop top awards!

Ok, so they're our own awards, but they're recognising truly outstanding citizen action and leadership...

The London Citizens’ AGM and Annual Award Ceremony

Students, staff and head teacher Mel Whitfield were there to represent Prendergast Ladywell Fields College, Lewisham, who won London Citizens’ Pathway school award for their outstanding commitment to trainings, local community connecting, student presentations at Citizens’ assemblies, being awarded £12000 of funding for their ideas for change, and winning the commitment and backing from the Mayor of Lewisham.



















St Angelas’ and St Bonaventures schools won the London Citizens Alliance school award for their students’ phenomenal work in shaping, leading and expanding the City Safe Campaign. Four years ago students from the school decided to take action to make their streets safer and build a positive image of young people in the capital. Four years later the student team at the school helped to build 40 city safe havens in the local area, was on hand to help persuade Boris Johnson to make City Hall the 200th Haven in London, and broadened the horizons of the entire City Safe Campaign by organising and holding the City Safe Youth Talent Showcase at Stratford Circus on August 28th – to show communities and the police the positive, creative power of young people working together.

Congratulations to both schools for their brilliant work. Get in touch now if your school wants to step up to a similar platform of real-world student, staff and parent leadership and be the catalyst for change in your part of London.

City Hall becomes London's 200th City Safe Haven!

On Thursday 19th November 2009, young leaders from London Citizens joined Mayor of London Boris Johnson as he declared City Hall as the 200th CitySafe Haven in London – offering its premises as a refuge to a young person in fear of attack. By establishing City Hall as the 200th CitySafe Haven, the Mayor demonstrated his support for the CitySafe Campaign and encouraged other organizations to sign up to be CitySafe Havens.



The Mayor was cheered by an enthusiastic crowd of over 50 mostly young leaders from London Citizens - the event was a result of on-going negotiation and relationship-building between London Citizens and the Mayor’s office, initiated with Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse at the Young Citizens Assembly in April 2009. The CitySafe Campaign is attracting interest in cities across the UK, including Liverpool where local business alliances and the Metropolitan Police are considering setting up CitySafe Havens.

The 200 local organizations which have so far signed up to be CitySafe Havens in London can be recognized by a sticker in the window which includes a dedication to the memory of Jimmy Mizen and Bob Litambola, both of whose families have been active in the Campaign