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Council officer makes Pride of Britain shortlist

Publication date: Friday 22 October 2010

Neighbourhood's officer Leyla Laksari is one of four Londoners shortlisted for this year's Pride of Britain awards.

Leyla helping to clear a rubbish site.

She will be featured in ITV's London Tonight on Monday 25 October, 6pm, where a short film will showcase her achievements in developing the Living Under One Sun (LUOS) healthy living project in Haringey.

Leyla works within the Northumberland Park and White Hart Lane Neighbourhood Management Service and has 28 years as a parent, school governor, teacher, community activist and project officer behind her.

Northumberland Park is one of the most deprived areas in the country with Neighbourhood teams tasked with helping often disaffected groups access services and engage with community activities.

Leyla describes her work as "actionism" and revels in the challenge her job brings.

The Living Under One Sun (LUOS) healthy living project is one of Leyla's most impressive achievements.

It was set up to help reduce crime and vandalism at the local adventure playground, bringing mothers and local women of different ethnicities to meet, cook and share stories of their lives.

Soon this developed into a platform for accessing services, training community leaders and founding more community projects.

LUOS embraces the core values of Haringey's Sustainable Community Strategy which puts communities right at the heart of change, shaping and driving developments.

Cllr Nilgun Canver, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said:

"This is a brilliant project. It brings communities from all backgrounds together and generates real community spirit. Leyla has been the initiator and the uncontested drive behind this project. Her ability to engage with partner agencies and to reach and empower communities is second to none and we are very proud that she is shortlisted for this award."

Some of the LUOS successes are:

  • training community leaders and volunteers
  • running weekly cook, eat and exercise classes where residents meet to get healthy and to access advice and services
  • running 'Be Happy - Be Safe' courses with police for parents with sessions on assertiveness, drug awareness, domestic violence, parenting and help with discipline
  • creating a vibrant community allotment from derelict land in Tottenham Hale involving more than 150 residents and 26 regular volunteers
  • Luos Harvest Festival, attended by around 1,200 residents who got access to more than 33 health and wellbeing services as well as enjoying healthy food, music and good company
  • LUOS provides support and expertise to develop projects elsewhere in Haringey such as the Helston Court Growing Project in Seven Sisters and the Haringey Sustainable Food Strategy
  • LUOS has attracted external funding from builders Lovell and other sources including the health sector.

Leyla said:

"There are lots of recipes for good and decent community work but the ingredients must always include kindness, vision, having the big picture, empathy, risk taking, sheer hard work and definitely fun and food! Accepting that we are all different at the same time as focusing on our common interests is a good start."

The winner of the London Pride of Britain Award will be announced on Friday 29 October on ITV.

  • Photo shows Leyla Laksari on the right, helping to clear a rubbish site.

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