Young people making a difference across Ealing – and the organisations and individuals supporting them – have been recognised at the 2026 Young Ealing Foundation Awards.
Thirty finalists were shortlisted across ten award categories, with the winners announced at a packed ceremony at the Grade II-listed ECC, the former Odeon cinema on Northfields Avenue, on Thursday evening (1 October 2026).
The annual awards celebrated young activists, volunteers, entrepreneurs and leaders from across the borough, as well as organisations and professionals working with young people.
Among those attending and presenting awards were the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Faduma Mohamed, Ealing Southall MP Deirdre Costigan and London Assembly Member for Ealing and Hillingdon Bassam Mahfouz.
Young Ealing Foundation Awards 2026 winners
Young Volunteer — Winner: Rafia Bhutta
Also nominated: Ayub Salad; Aghchayan Sivasekaram
Partnership — Winner: Stepping Stones Together and Brunel University
Also nominated: JCDecaux and ABM with Springhallow School; Youth Social Network x London Transport Museum: Top Tips for Travelling Safely
Young Activist — Winner: Alexander Frank
Also nominated: Shannon Bu; Ninoshka Botelho
Spaces for Young People — Winner: Stepping Stones Together
Also nominated: Mahaba Cafe CIC; Empowering Action and Social Esteem (EASE)
Young Entrepreneur — Winner: Omar Tibi
Also nominated: Josh Tate; Maurice Chapple-Wise
Fighting Inequality — Winner: The Proper Project
Also nominated: Middlesex Pride; Ilham Warsame, service user at Lasting Support Services
Young Leader — Winner: Ivan Ratkovic
Also nominated: Zainab Al-Talha; Imran Abdi
Big Impact — Winner: Violence Intervention Project (VIP)
Also nominated: Stepping Stones Together; Project Spark! (Youth Careers Collective)
Outstanding Youth Professional — Winner: Baylee Mitchell
Also nominated: Mobolaji Adeshoye; Shakilah Walusimbi
Overcoming Adversity — Winner: Jake Mcintosh and Luke Senior (Brothers)
Also nominated: Denisiecia Shaw; Bashar Alsoudi
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Ms Costigan said it was the third year she had attended the awards.
She said: “It’s always something that I want to say yes to, whatever else is happening, because these young people, they are such an inspiration to all of us. Whether it’s overcoming adversity in life, or standing up, taking a clear stand on something, and working together.
“So many of them are part of groups as well, all working together to try and make Ealing a better place for young people. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
“Some of the stories tonight have been so heartwarming. And the musical performances, too, have been wonderful to watch.
“It’s been full of energy, full of enthusiasm, and it really is about the story of Ealing, where we’re all about making sure young people have the opportunity to stand up and to speak out. Tonight is a great example of that.”
Ms Costigan also spoke about her work involving young people in politics, including a summer school she ran for young people from Ealing Southall this summer.
She said: “They got to participate in a debate in Parliament, they got to find out all about being an MP, but also they got involved in the local council and in the Greater London Authority.
“The main point of it all was for young people to understand how we make change happen. So they made videos, they came up with their own campaign. Really, they taught people like me, politicians like me, a lesson on how to make a difference in the world.”
On the wider role of politicians in supporting young people, she added: “I think part of the role of an MP is to inspire the next generation and to unlock some of the opportunities for young people.
“Like a lot of MPs and councillors, we’ve had to work hard to get where we’ve got. We understand the barriers that young people face, and me and my colleagues, we always want to make it easier for people coming up along behind us.
“Actually, some of these young people maybe don’t even need our help, they’re doing a pretty good job on their own. But where we can make it even easier and they can achieve even more, and more quickly, and make that impact, then we are doing that.”
Mr Mahfouz told EALING.NEWS he found the achievements of the young people recognised at the awards inspiring.
He said: “It’s so inspirational. Just seeing the next generation of young people, the impact that they make, it absolutely gives you hope in the future.
“It just brings you to tears every time you see these guys. It’s absolutely phenomenal, the effort, the energy, the determination that they have to bring positive change around the world. It’s a glory to see.”
Mr Mahfouz also spoke about Ealing having a representative on the London Youth Assembly.
He said: “For the first time now, we have a representative from Ealing on our Youth Assembly, and I’ll be working closely with them in order to make sure that we are doing our level best to ensure that every young person has the best start in life, with a career and a job that they can be proud of.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS following the event, Elly Heaton, CEO at Young Ealing Foundation, said: “Ealing’s young people give us so much to be hopeful about. Tonight was a celebration not only of their talent, determination and achievements, but of the extraordinary people and organisations working alongside them every day.
“We’re incredibly proud to support 132 organisations reaching more than 67,000 children and young people across Ealing. So much of their work happens quietly, without the recognition it deserves, and these awards are our chance to shine a light on them.
“At a time when the world can feel uncertain, tonight was a powerful reminder that the future is in some very determined, creative and inspiring hands.”
