Milton Keynes Multicultural Excellence Awards Celebrate Diversity and Achievements.
The Milton Keynes Multicultural Excellence Awards took place over the weekend at the prestigious Winton House in Bletchley, celebrating individuals and organizations that have made a remarkable impact on diversity and inclusion in the city.
The event was a resounding success, bringing together community leaders, business professionals, and changemakers to honour those who have contributed to making Milton Keynes a more inclusive and vibrant place.
There were twenty award categories for the night:
Among the winners was Bukky Babajide, who was recognized in the Women in Tech category for her outstanding contributions to the technology sector.
The Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award was presented to Lord Grey School in recognition of their continuous efforts in fostering an inclusive educational environment that supports students from all backgrounds.
Other Awards included Community Champion, Health and Wellbeing Champion and Artist of the Year.
The highlight of the evening was the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards, which were presented to three remarkable individuals and one organisation whose dedication to community service and inclusion has left a lasting legacy:
- Francesca Skelton: A long-time advocate for inclusion and diversity, Francesca has dedicated decades to community development, serving as Chair of the Arts and Heritage Alliance MK and a trustee of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation. Her work has led to ground-breaking initiatives such as Rethinking Cultural Inclusion and Diversity: A Call to Action for Milton Keynes.
- Kurshida Mirza: Founder of Trubys Garden Tea Room, an interfaith pop-up café that has been instrumental in fostering dialogue between Muslim and wider communities in Milton Keynes. She the 790th High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and the first Muslim woman of Asian heritage to hold the position.
- Laxman Kastala: A dedicated community leader and founder of DREAMSAI, an organization providing essential services such as food distribution, blood donation drives, and youth empowerment programs. He has also played a key role in major cultural events such as Indian Day (ID:MK) and Ganesh Utsav, uniting diverse communities in celebration of shared heritage and traditions.
- Living Archive: An organisation dedicated to curating the stories of individuals, groups, organisation and of the city of Milton Keynes itself. Their stories have embraced diversity in all its forms, celebrating the city as the vibrant city it is for generations to come.
The Awards aim to celebrate the positive contributions of individuals and organisations in Milton Keynes, ensuring that all communities are represented and recognised. The event featured a glamorous evening filled with inspiring speeches, live entertainment, and a lavish three-course meal, embodying the spirit of unity and excellence.
The Awards were organised by Linked Events Ltd and Pathways Alliance CIC.
The founder of the Awards, Nana Oguntola said ‘I see a gap and I proceed to fill it and these Awards were required to celebrate the excellence and positive contributions made to Milton Keynes by so many individuals and organisations who do not always have a platform to be recognised. This was an excellent night of celebration, and I feel humbled and privileged to be the platform for so many to be celebrated for all the amazing things they continue to do’.
The nomination process for next year’s awards will open on March 1st, 2025, encouraging the public to nominate deserving individuals, businesses, and organizations that actively support diversity and provide equal opportunities to people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
For further details and nomination submissions, please visit www.mkmulticulturalawards.com
