Outstanding Kisharon nominees at the JVN Celebration of Volunteering Awards included five men with learning disabilities whose efforts changed lives during the pandemic.

The men, nominated in the Young Volunteer Team category delivered more than 150 books to housebound and shielding members of Childs Hill Library during the Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

Above: Kisharon’s Young Volunteer Team, Shlomy, Pini, YM and Srulik (Nissim is not in the photo) with Debbi Denton, Learning and Development Facilitator, left, and Aviva Braunold, Learning and Development Lead.

At a time when there was little else to do, the team ensured members of the library, which Kisharon runs, could still keep reading by delivering requested books and returning to the library those already read.

Kisharon’s Learning and Development Lead, Aviva Braunold said: “All team members gained in confidence, learnt what to do without being told and to communicate with each other rather than seeking the approval of a support worker. These actions were mirrored in other aspects of their lives, and positive differences were noted by family members and other Kisharon managers.”

Spurred on by their success, the team went on to run Kisharon’s Bag My Treats social enterprise which packs sweets for simchas, Havdalah sets and wedding favours, and formed a team for Kisharon’s matched fundraising campaign last year which exceeded its £10k fundraising target and went on to bring in more than £26k.

Above: Trustee Marc ‘Yitzy’ Lerner and Valerie Hajioff, with Volunteer Coordinator Andrea Alexander, were also nominated.

Other nominees included Kisharon Trustee Marc ‘Yitzy’ Lerner who was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award. He started volunteering aged 14 and since then has dedicated countless hours to Kisharon and other Jewish charities.

Valerie Hajioff was nominated for the Volunteer of the Year award. At Kisharon Noé School, the former teacher is an extremely popular addition to the classroom and, at Day Opportunities where she runs art sessions, Valerie goes above and beyond to involve and engage those she supports.

All nominees received a trophy.