Two Kingston Carers Network volunteers recognised at Celebrating Communities Awards
We are celebrating two exceptional volunteers after they were both recognised with Highly Commended awards at the Kingston Celebrating Communities Awards, held on 29 June.
The awards were hosted as part of a partnership event organised by Kingston Voluntary Action, Kingston Council and other voluntary organisations and charities across the borough, celebrating the dedicated volunteers and teams making a real difference in Kingston’s communities.
Amanda Simner received Highly Commended in the Unsung Hero category, while John Bangs was Highly Commended in the Lifetime Achievement category.
Amanda has volunteered with Kingston Young Carers for nearly 10 years, supporting everything from office administration to weekly peer support sessions and holiday activities for young carers. During the pandemic, she also helped deliver activity packs, food parcels and essential supplies to families.
Her colleagues describe her as “the kind of person you genuinely want to bottle and keep forever” – a reflection of the warmth and reliability she brings to every aspect of her volunteering.
John has spent more than 30 years championing carers, both while working for Surrey County Council and after retiring. Since then, he has helped to raise awareness through creative projects including the Young Carers in Bunnyland and Young Carers in Space books, developed alongside author and illustrator Ana Graça and our young carers.
Earlier this year, Young Carers in Space reached an extraordinary milestone when it was selected as a CBBC Bedtime Story. It is the first time ever one of their bedtime stories has centred on a young carer, a remarkable achievement reflecting John’s determination to make young carers a topic of national conversation.
“Both Amanda and John are the kind of people who quietly get on with making an enormous difference. They don’t seek recognition, but over many years they have devoted so much of their time, energy and commitment to Kingston Carers Network, and we are incredibly grateful for everything they do.”
Jess Burrows, Volunteers Manager
Congratulations to Amanda and John on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for everything you do for carers across Kingston.
Carers Week 2026: Building a more carer-friendly Kingston
From GP practices and schools to local businesses and community organisations, Carers Week gave us the opportunity to work with people across Kingston to connect carers with support and celebrate the contribution they make every day.
A highlight of the week was our Connection and Celebration Event, co-hosted with Carers UK at The Fircroft Trust in Surbiton. Over one hundred people joined us for a day of conversation, connection and recognition. We were privileged to be joined by Ed Davey MP, Alison Bennett MP and Helen Walker, Chief Executive at Carers UK.
The event also included creative activities, games and a lucky dip made possible by the generosity of local businesses who donated a range of fantastic prizes.
One carer shared with us that it was “the best day of their year so far” - a wonderful reflection of what the week has been all about.
Throughout the week, we also focused on helping more carers to be recognised and supported. We launched our new Local Health Professionals Toolkit, designed to help healthcare staff identify unpaid carers, understand the impact of caring and connect carers with local support.
We wrote to every GP practice in the borough and hand delivered information packs, leaflets and posters to practices across Kingston. Several surgeries are now displaying our resources on waiting room screens and self-check-in systems, helping more carers learn about the support available to them.
Young carers were also at the heart of the week. Our Young Carers team visited King’s Oak Primary School in New Malden to deliver an assembly exploring what caring responsibilities can look like for children and young people.
Two pupils shared their own experiences as young carers, helping bring the message to life for their peers. We are incredibly grateful to the school for supporting our work through a fundraising mufti day, which has raised an incredible £641.
Alongside this awareness-raising work, carers were able to access practical advice, information and wellbeing opportunities.
Carers also came together at a coffee morning co-hosted with Your Healthcare CIC and were able to access a health and wellbeing check drop-in session with Kathy Wong, Health Engagement Officer at Kingston Voluntary Action.
Adult carers then enjoyed free beauty and wellbeing treatments kindly offered by Kingston College Beauty Therapy students, while our Young Carers Resilience and Peer Support Group took part in a special yoga session with Rebekah Arkle from All Shapes Yoga.
Our Youth Group were delighted to be joined by two artists, Jamal Mansaray and Muhammad Hassan, who supported the group to explore painting, poetry and Japanese calligraphy around the theme of belonging, support and inclusion as young carers.
We rounded off the week with a social picnic at Hampton Court Palace, giving carers the chance to enjoy the surroundings and strengthen the connections that are so important when caring can sometimes feel isolating.
Thank you to every carer, partner, volunteer and supporter who took part in Carers Week and helped make it such a success. By working alongside local people and organisations, we hope to continue building a more carer-friendly Kingston where every carer feels seen, heard and supported.
We would also like to thank Sorrento Restaurant, Hampton Court Palace Music Festival organisers MARI Group, Hollywood Bowl Tolworth, Health by Serena, Historic Royal Palaces and The Entertainer Kingston for generously donating prizes for our Connection and Celebration Event.
A special evening for our volunteers
As part of Volunteers' Week, we were delighted to host a special celebration meal for our volunteers at Chenjeh Restaurant in Tolworth.
The evening brought volunteers together to enjoy a delicious selection of Iranian and Persian food, test their knowledge in a table quiz and, most importantly, celebrate the impact they have on the lives of young carers and families across Kingston.
A highlight of the evening was sharing entries from our Young Carers Volunteers' Week competition. We asked young carers:
"If anything was possible, how would you thank our volunteers?"
The answers were thoughtful, imaginative and full of appreciation.
Some young carers said they would take volunteers to the World of Paw Patrol at Chessington World of Adventures and the zoo, give everyone what they want, buy them flowers, award them medals or take them to their favourite place.
We were also delighted to announce the two winning entries.
Winner: Lena
"If anything were possible… I'd do everything they do for me!!!"
Winner: Maisey
"Thank you Jason. I will take you to Disneyland. You are so kind to me. You make jokes about croissants I love! You put a smile on my face."
Hearing these messages reminded everyone just how much volunteers mean to the young carers they support.
As a final thank you, every volunteer who attended received a card, Hampton Court Palace tickets and one of more than 80 homemade cookies baked by our Volunteers Manager Jess, each decorated with the words "Thank you".
Thank you to everyone who came along, and to all our volunteers. We simply could not exist without your support, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you do.
If you’re interested in making a similar impact, we would love to hear from you. You can find out more about our volunteering opportunities here.