The awards recipients. Photo courtesy of Vu Kim Thanh

The Ladies of All Nations International UK-Vietnam (LOANI VNUK) on May 7 (local time) held a ceremony to honor Vietnamese individuals and organizations for their contributions to the community, VNA reported Tuesday.

The event was attended by the Counselor, Deputy Ambassador of Vietnam to the UK, To Minh Thu; MP Wayne David, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG); local government representatives; representatives of British and Vietnamese organizations and associations in the UK along with expatriates in the UK.

Speaking at the event, LOANI VNUK President Hoang Hai Ha said it organized the award ceremony on the occasion of the coronation of King Charles III and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK, with the hope to tighten the relationship and create prosperity and sustainable development to both countries.

She said organizations and individuals nominated for the award are inspirational figures, entrepreneurs, young leaders, and young talents operating in the fields from education, health, culture, and art to volunteering, humanitarian activities, and community connectivity.

Individuals are honored at the ceremony. Photo:VNA

The Inspiring Global Leader of the Year award was given to Katrin Kandel, CEO of Facing the World - a British charity that supports surgeries for Vietnamese children with congenital maxillofacial malformations, provides professional training for Vietnamese surgeons, and sponsors medical equipment and technology for remote medical examination and treatment for Vietnamese hospitals.

Katrin Kandel, CEO of Facing the World receives the Inspiring Global Leader of the Year. Photo:VNA

The Prestigious Organisation of the Year Award was given to the Vietnamese Intellectuals Association in the UK and Northern Ireland - an organization gathering more than 100 professors, associate professors, and senior lecturers at more than 60 universities in the UK and Ireland.

To Minh Thu, Deputy Ambassador of Vietnam in the UK, has presented the Community Organisation of the Year award to the Vietnamese Intellectual Society in the UK and Ireland. Photo courtesy of Vu Kim Thanh

Nguyen Thi Minh Thu, CEO of An Phu Pearl and Jewelry Company, received the Entrepreneur of the Year award as her company has supported building bridges and houses and giving gifts to people in disadvantaged areas in Vietnam. The company also participates in the project to build 200 libraries for schools across Vietnam.

The School of the Year Award was presented to Ark Oval Primary Academy (London) for its contributions to promoting the culture of minority communities, including organizing a Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration.

The Star of the Year Award went to William Nguyen, a 13-year-old boy known as a musical prodigy with many achievements in music and mathematics.

Many other awards were also given to others that have had community support activities such as disaster relief, free medical examination and treatment for the poor, and support for Vietnamese during the pandemic.

LOANI VNUK is a member of London-based global LOANI founded by British African-American Professor Caroline Makaka in 2017. It focuses on activities to raise awareness about equal rights of women and children, mental health, training young leaders, preserving Vietnamese culture, and helping children and people elderly in Vietnam, the UK, and Africa.

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