Revealed: All the winners from this year's Luton's Best Awards
The winners of Love Luton's 15th Luton's Best Awards were revealed on Friday evening during a special ceremony at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa.
The nominees, representing all walks of life, ages, and areas of the town, are a true reflection of Luton’s diverse community. Their awe-inspiring achievements, often considered extraordinary, serve as a lesson to us all.
The event began with a drinks reception and a performance from Luton Music Service. Guests were then invited to dinner, with the Chair of Love Luton, Linsey Sweet, formally welcoming the Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, the Mayor of Luton, the local MPs, councillors, shortlisted nominees and sponsors.
The compere for the evening was Andrew Castle, a former British tennis player and TV and Radio Broadcaster, who was back for his 11th year to host an evening celebrating everything great about Luton.
The sponsors, who make up Love Luton, played a crucial role in the event by presenting to each of the worthy winners. The keynote speaker for the evening was Paul Kehoe, Chair of Luton Rising. The evening concluded with fireworks sponsored by Aegis Support Services and a disco to conclude a fantastic evening of celebrations.
Over the 15 years of the awards, more than 1,200 individuals and organisations have been recognised.
This year's People's Choice award, voted for by Luton News readers via lutontoday.co.uk, was hotly contested. There were more than 1,600 votes cast and just 12 votes separating the top two - with Mahfuz Rahman taking the honour.
The winners and runners-up of all 22 categories were:
Adult Achiever sponsored by University of Bedfordshire: Winner: Nat Gentle King. Runner up: Saffiyyah Umar.
Best Fundraiser sponsored by Pell Frischmann: Winner: Maidenhall PTA. Runner up: Lianne Crisp.
Best Volunteer sponsored by Signature Flight Support: Winner: Dorothy Llewellyn-Lewis. Runner up: Carole Young.
Care in the Community sponsored by Volkerfitzpatrick: Winner: Bridge House. Runner up: Kath Gardner.
Child of Courage sponsored by Ryebridge Construction: Winner: Haresh Sivalingam. Runner up: Youth Council.
Community Business Person sponsored by Active Luton: Winner: Noelette Hanley. Runner up: Tammy Treagus.
Community Company of the Year sponsored by Luton Point: Winner: Aegis Support Services. Runner up: Community Training Portal Luton.
Community Project of the Year sponsored by TUI: Winner: Hangout Luton. Runner up: Music 24.
Entrepreneur of the year sponsored by Hannah Solicitors: Winner: Qadeer Qureshi. Runner up: Mahfuz Rahman.
Environmental Achievement sponsored by Utilita: Winner: Penrose Roots. Runner up: Paul Hammond.
Health Hero sponsored by Atrumed: Winner: The Lewis Foundation. Runner up: Jean Anderson.
Inspirational Female sponsored by Luton Sixth Form College: Winner: Danya Ahmed. Runner up: Jo Mylles. Posthumous Special Recognition for Lucie Moore.
Keeping Luton Safe sponsored by Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service: Winner: Muddasar Hussain. Runner up: Jayne Sinclair.
Leisure, Culture and Heritage sponsored by the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa: Winner: Luton Library Theatre. Runner up – Paul Hammond.
Lifetime Achievement sponsored by London Luton Airport: Winner: Jo Mylles. Runner up: Pastor Trevor Adams.
Luton in Harmony sponsored by Chiltern Learning Trust: Winner: Energise Luton. Runner: Pastor Trevor Adams.
Luton’s most outstanding citizen 2024 sponsored by Kelly’s Storage: Winner: Jutsna Khan. Runner up: Kamal Hussain.
Service with a Smile sponsored by Carlisle Support Services: Winner: Grow Your Potential. Runner up: Dorothy Green.
Sporting Inspiration sponsored by Luton Town Football Club: Winner: Moss Khan & Grant Savage. Runner up: Luton All Stars Football Club.
Step Forward Luton sponsored by Vauxhall Motors: Winner: Luton Rising Festival Makers. Runner: Lullington Neighbours.
Young Achiever sponsored by Barnfield College: Winner: Maryam Khalil. Runner up: Zoubair Aouam.
People’s Choice Winner sponsored by Ethos Farm/Luton News: Winner Mahfuz Rahman.
Linsey Sweet, Chair of Love Luton, said: "To be able to celebrate 15 years of amazing contributions to our town is a fantastic achievement. Since our inception, we have recognised over 1,200 individuals and organisations, each of whom has made a significant impact on our community. Their contributions inspire us and motivate us to continue our work.
“2025 is a special year for Love Luton. It’s our 15th anniversary, a milestone we are incredibly proud of. Love Luton was first formed in 2010 to lead our town’s bid for City Status as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
"The partnership has gone from strength to strength and is one of the town’s longest serving and most successful partnerships. None of this would be possible without our amazing sponsors, many of whom have been with us from the beginning. And, of course, a huge thank you to the Luton community. We have a full programme of activity planned, and this will be shared over the coming weeks".
See the January 22 edition of the Luton News for plenty of photos from the awards night.
Love Luton is fully funded by private sponsorship and local businesses, who work together to improve the town's image and perception.
To find out more information about the award winners and Love Luton, visit www.loveluton.org.uk
Thank you to: Aegis Support Services, Atrumed, Barnfield College, HBD, London Luton Airport, Luton Council, Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa, Luton Point, Luton Town Football Club, Ryebridge Construction, Signature Flight Support, Treacle Factory, University of Bedfordshire, Vauxhall Motors, Kelly’s Storage, Hannah Solicitors, Utilita, Volker Fitzpatrick, Active Luton, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Carlisle Support Services, Chiltern Learning Trust, Ethos Farm, Luton Sixth Form College, Pell Frischmann, TUI, Metro Bank, Luton Rising, Step Forward Luton, The Luton News and Arriva.