Users of a Burnt Oak community centre are benefitting from a new kitchen thanks to an award-winning local resident.
Burnt Oak resident Rui Jorge Octavio won the community kitchen for the North Road Community Centre, HA8, as a prize after being entered by social landlord Barnet Homes for a national award for his work with young people.
Rui was named a joint winner of the Most Outstanding Young Person category at the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) Awards in 2010 in recognition of his work with the youth empowerment and support organisation Nutmeg (New Unique Talented Motivated Energetic Generation).
The category was sponsored by Rixonway, the UK’s sole kitchen manufacturer for social housing, which then offered to donate the kitchen from their Trieste range to a community centre used by Rui and the Nutmeg group.
Rui said: “Nutmeg aims to tackle youth disengagement and the perceptions of the young. It’s involved in promoting young people’s talents, as well as anti-knife and gun crime messages.
“I’m thrilled that I was able to nominate my local North Road Community Centre for a new kitchen as part of winning the award. I’m sure it will have a positive effect for my local community.”
Angie Moore, who runs the community centre, said: “After 25 years a new kitchen was well needed and it’s made the room bigger. I’m very pleased.
“The new kitchen will be a selling point when it comes to hiring out the centre and a pulling point for people looking for a venue to hold events and meetings.”
Rixonway’s generosity has been matched by Barnet Homes’ building contractor the Apollo Group, which agreed to fit the kitchen free of charge, and repairs contractor Lovell, which has tiled and laid new kitchen flooring. Barnet Homes then redecorated the room to complete the kitchen refurbishment.
Members of the public can hire the hall at the North Road Community Centre by contacting Angie Moore on 020 8952 0463.