posted 19th March 2021
We are proud to announce that our Service Manager Kamel Boulkenafet was presented with the Community Upstander Award at the We Are One Awards organised by the Gloucestershire Hate Crime Forum and Remembering Srebrenica Southwest. The ceremony was to celebrate everyday heroes who stand up to hate crime.
Kamel was recommended for an award after he went "over and above" to support a young person placed with us, a 15 year old refugee from Guinea who had fled violence in his own country and had only been in Gloucester for a few weeks when he was viciously assaulted in Gloucester Park. Kamel immediately came to this young man's assistance, contacting the police, taking him to hospital and being there for him. He advocated for him with the police and referred him to Victim Support. He acted as translator and guardian, giving the young person a voice in extremely trying circumstances.
Kamel went above and beyond to stand up to prejudice and intolerance.