DESCENDANTS
Every year I leave our Achievement Awards feeling incredibly proud. Proud of the young people we celebrate, proud of the teachers and families who support them, and proud that Descendants continues to provide a platform where excellence, resilience and determination are recognised and celebrated.
On 11th July 2026, we celebrated the 21st Dr John Roberts QC CBE Achievement Awards at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Ealing Common. It was another unforgettable evening that brought together schools, families, community leaders and supporters to honour children and young people of African and Caribbean heritage from across the London Borough of Ealing.
As I looked around the room, I was reminded once again why we started these awards over twenty years ago. Every finalist represented a story of hard work, perseverance and potential. Their achievements deserve to be seen, celebrated and remembered.
Twenty One Years Of Celebrating
the Best Of Our Young People
Our Biggest Year Yet
This year was our biggest to date, with more than 200 nominations received from primary, secondary and special schools across Ealing for pupils in Years 5 to 13. Choosing the finalists was never going to be easy because every nomination told a story of determination and achievement.
From those nominations, 46 young people were shortlisted and invited to attend the awards ceremony, where they were celebrated in front of around 170 guests.
An Outstanding Overall Winner
The highest honour of the evening, the Dr John Roberts QC CBE Achievement Award, was presented to Leo Munroe from Islip Manor High School. Leo also received the Secondary STEM Award, making it a truly memorable evening for him. Islip Manor High School was also presented with our annual School Trophy in recognition of the exceptional quality of its nominations.
Congratulations to All Our Winners
Primary Awards
Excellence Across All Areas of Education
Jahni John Charles
Working Hard and Achieving Against the Odds
Ebonie Stephenson
Excellence in the Arts
Jace Grant
Sport
Ruby May Howard
STEM
Sophia Babalola
Entrepreneurial Qualities
Joylen Cabral Teixeira
Future Leadership Potential
Amiyah Appleton
Secondary Awards
Excellence Across All Areas of Education
Lisa Jammeh
Working Hard and Achieving Against the Odds
Esther Kainsie
Excellence in the Arts
Benjamin Isaac Obado
Sport
Arielle Grant
STEM
Leo Munroe
Entrepreneurial Qualities
Hutoon Adam
Future Leadership Potential
Hafsa Mumin
More Winners
We also celebrated the recipients of our Legacy Awards, named in honour of inspirational members of Ealing's African and Caribbean community whose contribution continues to inspire future generations.
Congratulations to Elisha Hopkin, Lily Christopher, Samuel Ajayi, Jeremiah Ajayi, Clyde De Bellotte, Tay Jean Hernandez Codling, Fatuma Ahmed, Alexan Slowley, Hodan Farah, Kayann Lawrence, Alister Fagbola, Yahye Mohamed and Alexander Andrews.
Why These Awards Matter
When I founded these awards in 2005 in memory of my sister, Kim Noel, I wanted to create something that would inspire young people to believe in themselves and to know that their achievements mattered.
Naming the awards after our former patron, Dr John Roberts CBE QC, the first Black King's Counsel in the United Kingdom, reflected the values he stood for throughout his life: excellence, integrity, perseverance and service.
Descendants itself has now been supporting children, young people and families across Ealing since 1993. Everything we have achieved has been made possible through the dedication of our volunteers, supporters, schools and community partners. Receiving the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service was a tremendous honour, but seeing the confidence these awards build in our young people remains our greatest reward.
Over the years we have watched many former winners go on to achieve extraordinary things, including Arsenal and England footballer Bukayo Saka, commercial pilot Tatiana Gailard Morris and Oxford graduate and A&E doctor Yethrib Mohamed. They remind us that today's young achievers become tomorrow's leaders.
As I reflect on another wonderful evening, I am filled with optimism for the future. Every young person recognised this year has shown that talent, determination and resilience exist in abundance within our community.
The Dr John Roberts QC CBE Achievement Awards have never simply been about winning an award. They are about recognising potential, building confidence and showing our young people that they are valued, believed in and capable of achieving great things.
After twenty one years, I remain as passionate as ever about celebrating their success, and I cannot wait to see what this remarkable generation achieves next.
Margaret Noel - Descendants Founder
Inspirational Teacher Award
Another very special moment was recognising Mrs Berenice Miles, who received our Inspirational Teacher Award in acknowledgement of more than sixty years of dedicated service to education in Ealing. Teachers like Mrs Miles change lives every single day, and it was a privilege to recognise her remarkable contribution.
A Moment I Will Never Forget
There are always moments during the evening that stay with me, but one in particular summed up everything these awards stand for.
Ruby May Howard, our Primary Sports Award winner, arrived despite suffering a training injury the previous evening. She came with bruising and her arm in a sling, but she was determined not to miss the celebration.
We were told by her parents that she is officially one of the UK’s top ranked U11 sprinters holding a spectacular 11.00-second 75m record that mirrors the second-fastest time in the country.
Her quiet determination spoke volumes. It reminded all of us that success is not only measured by trophies and certificates. It is also measured by resilience, courage and the willingness to keep going even when life presents challenges. That is exactly what these awards were created to recognise.
Thank You to Our Guests
We were honoured that actor Rudolph Walker CBE joined us as our guest speaker, sharing his wisdom and encouragement with our young people.
We were also delighted to welcome the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Faduma Mohamed, Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq, Sarah Thompson Ealing Schools Partnership lead, several local councillors, including Councillor Gary Malcolm, who kindly presented one of the awards.
Their support demonstrates how much these young people mean to our borough and how important it is that their achievements continue to be recognised.
The Dr John Roberts QC CBE Achievement Awards
The Descendants Achievement Awards Ceremony is our prestigious annual event which is held at Doubletree London, Ealing in the month of July. The awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of young people of African and Caribbean heritage across Ealing.
With categories including “Excels in all areas of education”, “Excels in sports”, “Excels in arts”, “Entrepreneurial qualities” and “Works hard and achieves against all odds”. The event recognises exceptional talent, resilience, and determination. Nominations are submitted from primary school's year 5 and year 6, secondary schools, year 7-13 colleges and special educational needs schools across the borough.
The ceremony is named in honour of Dr John Roberts QC CBE, the first black QC in the UK. The event provides a platform for young people to be celebrated for their hard work and achievements, while also fostering pride in their heritage.
Founder and director of Descendants, Margaret Noel, highlighted the importance of the event:
“Every year, as always, the nominees are exceptional! It is mind-blowing to see the wealth of young talent we have within the African and Caribbean community, living within the Borough. We are continually bombarded with negative narratives about children of African and Caribbean descent., so it is uplifting and sends a message to everyone that we can and do excel. With hard work and dedication; the sky is our limit. Considering the current climate, to see these young people being recognised for their efforts is heartwarming.
These are the stories that need to be shared, not only to celebrate these young achievers but also to motivate others to see the sheer potential of young people; our future leaders, doctors, scientists, accountants, record breaking athletes, inspiring poets, painters, teachers, pilots, artists and activists just to name a few!"