By Stephen Bediako OBE
I feel honoured and humbled to share that I’ve been awarded an OBE in the 2021 New Year’s Queen’s Honours for innovation in charity and social enterprise.
I was not expecting this but am grateful to whoever nominated me! I want to thank God and dedicate this to my mother who despite tough challenges did her best to raise me until I was 13, and in memory of my father. May they both Rest in Power!
I want to thank my brothers and sisters and my friends, colleagues, allies, coaches/mentors over the years. There are too many to mention and I can’t bear the thought of missing anyone – so you know who you are, and you know I love and respect you deeply. The reality is this award is not really mine. This award belongs to the aforementioned, to the various teams I work with day-to-day – past, present and future – who have put up with me, believed in me, challenged me, disagreed with me, and stuck with me through thick and thin.
Finally, I want to thank the families, young people, entrepreneurs, schools, businesses, civil servants, philanthropists, politicians, charities and their leaders, and so many more that I have touched and worked with over the years, and who have in turn influenced me. It has been an honour to serve and work in the space of public good. I grew up experiencing public provision from a variety of angles (both good and bad), which shaped and informed my choices to work in this space – a space where I have always tried to do my best whether I got things right or wrong during that time.
I plan to use this recognition to continue that work and be a platform for the next generation of social impact leaders. I’m driven more than ever to be a catalyst for collaborative and eclectic teams, as well as to encourage greater representation in leadership for our society.
If you are interested in my work or want to collaborate, please get in touch with me or my friend and colleague, Ravina Mehta, to explore things further.