Yesterday, I joined thousands of people in Trafalgar Square at the vigil for Professor Jason Arday. It was something I felt I could not miss.

Standing among so many people who had come together to remember Jason made me think deeply about the children and young people we support at Descendants and why our work remains so important.

Jason’s journey showed determination, resilience and achievement against the odds. His story also reminds us how important it is for our children of African and Caribbean descent to grow up seeing their potential recognised and believing that they too can achieve.

We cannot allow our children to grow up feeling that they are less deserving of recognition, opportunity or success.

This is one of the reasons the Dr John Roberts QC CBE Achievement Awards mean so much to me. One of our award categories is Working Hard and Achieving Against the Odds. It recognises children who may have faced challenges along their journey but who continue to work, persevere and achieve.

Our awards celebrate young people from primary,     secondary and special schools because every achievement matters. Whether a child excels academically, in STEM, sport, the arts, leadership or enterprise, or has simply had to work incredibly hard to overcome barriers, they deserve to have somebody say, "we see you and we are proud of you". 

Jason became a professor at one of the world’s most   recognised universities, but every remarkable journey begins with a child.

His tragic death has strengthened my belief that we must continue to encourage our children, celebrate their talents and remind them that they belong in every space where excellence is recognised. At Descendants, we will continue to do exactly that.

Margaret Noel
Founder, Descendants