PM award for city woman who set up community support group
A Black Country woman who founded an online network during the coronavirus pandemic to support people has received an award from the Prime Minister.
Leanne McDonald is the 2,246th recipient of the Points of Light award, which was first launched in April 2014 to recognise outstanding individuals making a positive change within their community and inspiring others.
She set up the community-led organisation Simple Acts of Kindness, which has expanded since it was first set up in 2020, helping more than 200 families a year.
The organisation works in partnership with professionals and the local authority to distribute essential household items to vulnerable people, as well as signposting towards further support services and connecting them with local community-based projects.
They focus on using pre-loved items to prevent them from going to landfill, and people are invited to donate clothing, household goods and furniture to be re-used or sold to help with fundraising.
Ms McDonald runs the group in her spare time, but there is involvement from the whole community, with volunteers giving their time to help organise, collect and deliver items.
The network stays in touch with those they have helped, who often donate their skills, or household items to the organisation once they are able to do so.
Simple Acts of Kindness currently operates via a Facebook page, but has received an offer from a local marketing company to build a new website which it hopes to launch soon, as well as looking to expand to acquire a larger storage space to donate items.
Congratulating Ms McDonald on her award, Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson said: “I would like to congratulate Leanne on this fantastic achievement, becoming the UK's 2,246th Point of Light.
"The Simple Acts of Kindness initiative, spearheaded by Leanne, is a fantastic addition to our community in Wolverhampton.
"So, it is fitting that Leanne’s hard work and dedicated efforts have been recognised with this well-deserved award from the Prime Minister.
"The award recognises the meaningful change that outstanding volunteers such as Leanne are making in communities like Wolverhampton.”
Leanne said: “I'm speechless which, for anyone who knows me, is very rare.
“The overall aim for everyone within Wolverhampton and beyond is that by local people understanding and sharing items, they no longer need to bridge the gap of material poverty to reduce stress and increase better mental health so people can concentrate on daily life and focus their attentions on a positive future."
