Reach Society names award in honour of late patron

LONDON: The Reach Society’s 15th anniversary celebratory awards dinner at the Park Plaza Hotel, Victoria in central London on October 25 was dedicated to the memory of its inspirational patron, Professor Sir Geoff Palmer who passed away earlier this year.

Highlight of the evening was the presentation of the inaugural Sir Geoff Palmer Award to Jamaica-born Professor Kevin Fenton CBE, the regional director of public health for London, for his exemplary role during the COVID-19 pandemic to create groundbreaking strategies to help shape more equitable responses to the pandemic across the UK.

Reach Society’s chairman, Dr Dwain Neil OBE said the Sir Geoff Palmer Award will be presented each year to an outstanding recipient from the Windrush Nation for extraordinary contribution to society.

He said: “Sir Geoff Palmer had a profound impact on the entire leadership team and it is why we have developed Project Symbol in his memory which will be rolled out in 2026. This will take his life story as a scientific pioneer who revolutionised the brewing industry, plus his humanitarian work, to the widest audience of young people.

“Our team will be sharing Sir Geoff’s life story next year and as many years as we can because we want all our young people to be inspired. Sir Geoff started from nothing and he became everything. If you get your mind right and you understand what it is to succeed, you too as a young person can start from nothing and achieve everything.”

In accepting the Sir Geoff Palmer Award, Professor Fenton said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to be the first recipient of the award. To be recognised with an award that bears the name of one of Britain’s most distinguished scientists and humanitarians is truly an honour. He taught us that science is not only about discovery, but it’s also about opportunities and about caring.

“To stand here in his name reminds me about how science and public health can serve humanity. From my own early days in Jamaica and training here in the UK, to working in the US and now leading public health in London, I too have been guided by one principle, that evidence and equity must go hand in hand if we are to improve life.”

Inspiring young people

One of the special guests at the celebratory dinner was Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the UK Alexander Williams who had high praise for the work of the Society over the past 15 years.

He said: “The founders of the Reach Society, Dr Dwain Neil OBE, Professor Dr Donald Palmer and Robert Neil MBE saw the important responsibility of encouraging, motivating and inspiring young people, especially black boys and young black men, to own the development of their potential and make viable transitions into adult life. As we reflect on the values that bind us – community, education and the unyielding belief that every young person deserves a chance in life, the Reach Society has been a steward of these values.”

Before a number of awards were handed out to the corporate champions and the many role models who volunteered their services to encourage the Society’s growing roster of young people in London, Birmingham, Luton and Manchester, there was a special tribute award presented to the family of the late Mike Johnson, founder of Life Radio UK.

Mike Johnson worked on a number of radio projects with the Reach Society, including the creation of the Windrush Nation anthem to mark the 75th anniversary in 2023 which also gave birth to the Society’s Windrush Nation Awards that was held in 2024. The Windrush anthem was sung by Angela Clarke at the start of the anniversary awards evening.

On this page we feature some of the highlights from the Reach Society’s 15th anniversary awards event.