An “extraordinary citizen" organising food packs to 6,000 people in east London during the pandemic has won the coveted British Citizen Award.
Rofikul Islam, of Poplar, is one of 27 "ordinary people" around the country who've been named in the awards. He couldn't receive his medal at the Palace of Westminster due to the lockdown. The medal arrived instead by courier, with an invitation to the House of Lords when it is safe.
He is honoured after 15 years running projects such as mentoring young people at risk of becoming involved in street gangs.
Rofikul and his friends provide free hot meals, clothes, toiletries to those isolated in lockdown, with his Covid-19 support network running food banks from Whitechapel to Dagenham. Food packs are sent to 6,000 households in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking and Dagenham.
On top of that, he is volunteering at a soup kitchen for the homeless, elderly and those in poverty.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here