Michelle Dornelly is the antidote we need to combat the tidal wave of depressing news threatening to overwhelm us.
She is the ray of hope through the storm clouds of government incompetence, ministerial cover-ups and culture wars being stoked in a bid to tear us apart.
Michelle is all about bringing people together – and inspiring us to do the same.
Concerned about her neighbours going hungry in her local area two years ago, she set up the Hackney Community Food Hub in East London.
She didn’t offer sympathy or false concern. She turned her living room into an incredible, volunteer-led HQ that has grown to feed thousands of people every week – and delivered meals to 100,000 so far.
As her cousin, I am in awe of her. She was always kind, big-hearted and compassionate when we were kids.
As a mother she is extending the bonds of togetherness, established centuries ago within our wider family in the Caribbean, to a new generation.
And take it from me – when nominated for a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award she didn’t go shouting about it to her extended family.
She’s been far too busy for that.
Michelle is a single mum to a 23-year-old daughter, Renisha, and three sons – Remel, 30, 27-year-old Revaugh and 14-year-old Reon. Michelle is also an inspiration to millions across the country and fully deserving of the TSB Community Hero title she was handed at last week’s Pride of Britain awards ceremony.
Full disclosure: I was nowhere near the judging panel for her category. But you can bet your boots I’d have been all over it if I had.
And not because she’s family. Her work goes back further – much further – than 2020.
Thirteen years ago, instead of worrying – as most parents do – about the influence of gang culture on her kids and a lack of facilities for young people, she used her own money to set up another successful community group, Children With Voices.
It provides after-school and holiday clubs. It mentors young people and it works to combat obesity, hunger and violence among five to 16-year-olds. Michelle also roped in local shopkeepers to donate provisions.
Her award should be just the start. Michelle, with her superb organisational, distribution and leadership skills is a shining example of someone who should be fronting up a company’s efforts to tackle food poverty.
Someone who understands the big picture. If I ran one of the big supermarket chains or even a government organisation, I’d be employing her to bring her talents to a national platform.
She truly is among the Pride of Britain.
