Luton woman devoted to helping people with eating disorders among heroes honoured at awards

Claire Jackson was inspired to start Caraline after the death of her friend Caraline Neville-Lister, who died from anorexia nervosa.

The charity has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 1994 and now provides a range of early intervention therapy and support funded by the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes and Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

Two young role models were joint winners of the Young Hero Award.

They are Ethan Veal, in Year 7 at high school, and 11-year-old Chloe Gifoli.

In spite of being diagnosed as autistic, Ethan is always smiling and makes others smile too. And although he’s suffered many family bereavements, this hasn’t stopped him helping others. He organises community litter picking and was part of the Chantry Green Team.

Chloe, who has brittle bone disease, remains positive and enthusiastic even though her condition causes pain, discomfort and anxiety and necessitates various treatments.

In addition to being a brilliant sportswoman – she’s reached national level at table tennis, is an excellent swimmer and is also phenomenal at cricket – Chloe scores well academically too.

The Mayor’s Award went to mother-of-seven Marjorie Robinson, who nursed her late husband through a leg amputation as a result of diabetes - yet still managed to run Joseph Store Basket, a community foodbank to help struggling families.

Marjorie Robinson runs Joseph Store Basket a community initiative through Beulah Apostolic Church & other partners, which is a food bank to help struggling families. It is based at Futures house which operates every Friday and still running successfully today. What makes her outstanding is that while she is doing all of this and helping others she was also a caring for her late husband Garfield who suffered with diabetes who had his leg amputated 3-4 years ago. Marjorie is also a mother of 7 boys, a house wife, inspiring woman’s leader and successfully completed her CIPD.

In all there were 19 awards, celebrating and recognising the good work carried out by ordinary people in the community.

Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards founder Mostaque Koyes paid tribute to the winners.

He said: “The awards enable us to tell these stories which show acts of extraordinary care, compassion and kindness.

"We are proud that for the past 13 years we have been able to share and celebrate these achievements.”

Every year there are a series of fundraising initiatives in the lead up to the event which go towards the Awards’ charitable cause.

This year £45,000 was raised for the Discover Islam Centre’s Keep Luton Warm winter campaign.

Sponsors Luton Rising spokesperson Mark Turner said: “It was a truly inspiring event and we are proud to be part of telling these stories.

"Thank you for bringing us together to celebrate. I want to congratulate all those amazing people who were recognised on the evening by the judges.”