Islington’s firefighters and Pearly King and Prince awarded the Freedom of the Borough

*** for high-res versions of pictures please click images. Captions below ***

Islington’s brave firefighters and officers and the Pearly King and Prince of Finsbury have been awarded the Freedom of the Borough in recognition of their major contribution to borough life.

The honour was given at last night's (15 March) annual Mayor’s Civic Awards, which celebrate the unsung heroes who help make Islington a better place.

Since 1865 Islington’s officers and firefighters have kept the borough safe. Crews were among the 250 firefighters who attended the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017.

Islington Borough Commander Gary Squires, said: “Our firefighters and officers are honoured to have been given this prestigious award. They arrive at the start of their shift every day not knowing what incidents they will be called upon to attend, and no matter what time of day they are called out, they attend with the same levels of commitment and professionalism. They do not come to work expecting to receive praise or rewards however they are gratefully received.”

John and Darren Walters became the Pearly King and Prince of Finsbury 13 years ago, taking up John’s wife’s family tradition. Together, they have helped raise thousands of pounds for charities in Islington and other London boroughs.

John said: “Two words come to mind – honour and privilege. It’s an honour to receive this award from the council and it’s a privilege to stand alongside the brave men and women of Islington fire service and receive the same award as them because they really deserve it.”

Last night's Civic Awards and Ben Kinsella Award ceremony also gave recognition to more of the borough's exceptional people.The winner of the Ben Kinsella Award 2018 was Artur Ahmati, who came alone to the UK from Albania in July 2017, and has made a fantastic contribution to the Children Active Involvement Service, which is about improving the care system for children and young people. The Ben Kinsella Award is given in memory of Ben Kinsella, who was murdered in 2008, and was presented by his family and the Mayor of Islington Cllr Una O’Halloran.

The Mayor of Islington also presented Civic Awards to:

• Linda Brown – a board member of the Mildmay Community Partnership and volunteer Chair of South Mildmay Tenants Cooperative. Linda has dedicated herself to her local community for well over a decade.
• Kathy Green – a customer representative at Archway Leisure Centre, who works unpaid to improve the facilities and benefit the local people who use the centre.
• Rosey Lyall – founder Trustee of The Garden Classroom, who has volunteered thousands of hours over a 10-year-period, to fundraise and to give Islington children the chance to experience and learn through nature.

Cllr Una O’Halloran, Mayor of Islington, said: “We’re delighted to present the Ben Kinsella Award 2018 to Artur Ahmati, and to present civic awards to Linda Brown, Kathy Green and Rosey Lyall.

“Across Islington there are so many people who are an inspiration to others, and make a real difference to our communities, and our civic awards are a way of saying ‘thank you’ to these exceptional people who contribute so much.

"It is also an honour to give Freedom of the Borough to Islington's officers and firefighters, in recognition of their courage and selfless service to the people of our borough and across London. We also honour our Pearly Kings, who are true Islington and Finsbury institutions and part of our heritage and community."

Cllr Richard Watts, Leader of Islington Council, added: “It is a privilege to award the Freedom of the Borough to such deserving people from our community.

“The bravery and commitment of Islington’s officers and firefighters is a credit to each individual and to the London Fire Brigade as a whole. They are valued partners of the council and the pride of Islington.

“Likewise, John and Darren, with their eye-catching costumes and super-fast wit, are much-loved members of the community and make a massive contribution to life in the borough.”

Ramzy Alwakeel, Editor of the Islington Gazette, which sponsors the Civic Awards, said: “News can be a bleak industry and sometimes journalists need cheering up. But the Civic Awards remind me how much good is done every day in our borough, often without anyone paying attention. We can and should all learn from these fantastic people.

“It’s an honour to be involved with Islington’s Civic Awards, and one that makes me very proud to live and work here.”

Picture captions: 1 & 2 - Islington firefighters at Islington Town Hall, on March 15, where they were awarded the Freedom of the Borough

Picture 3: (L-R) George and Debbie Kinsella, the parents of Ben Kinsella; Ramzy Alwakeel, editor of the Islington Gazette; civic award winner Linda Brown; civic award winner Kathy Green; Ben Kinsella award winner Artur Ahmati; civic award winner Rosey Lyall; Cllr Una O'Halloran, the Mayor of Islington; Cllr Richard Watts, leader of Islington Council