We are delighted to be chosen as the winner of the Penny Johnstone Award 2021 by the Quartet Community Foundation (QCF). The award was set up in memory of Penny Johnstone, QCF's Founding Director, and is given to a charitable organisation who QCF has made a grant to which exemplifies the values on which the Community Foundation was founded. Jacari received a grant from QCF's Coronavirus Recovery and Stabilisation Programme to help us continue to provide free tuition to children who use English as an additional language in Bristol during the Covid-19 lockdowns of late 2020 and early 2021.
QCF told us that Jacari won the award based on the fantastic work we have done around education, learning and training, providing weekly 1:1 support for children and young people whose first language is not English. There was a very strong shortlist this year and we were honoured that Penny’s family chose Jacari as the winner! The family were particularly concerned about the disruption to children's education caused by the pandemic and how this highlighted the disparity in access to education.
Our Senior Coordinator, Anna Bowie, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Matt Lister, and two of our Bristol-based volunteer tutors attended QCF's Annual Celebration at M-Shed in Bristol on Tuesday 16th November. We were presented with the award by Bryony Johnstone, Penny's daughter, and QCF's Chair of Trustees, Sue Mountstevens, and given the opportunity to share a few words about Jacari with the audience. We were also presented with a cheque for £500 which will go towards funding our tuition programme in Bristol.
When giving Jacari the award, Bryony Johnstone said:
"What I particularly loved about reading about Jacari’s work was their commitment to adapt and make things work – they seemed determined to solve problems to ensure that children’s education was as uninterrupted as possible. They had, and have, bold plans, to continue to do this learning from their experience this year...The passion of Jacari and those who work there, comes through in spades and it is for this reason, and for mum's own passion about education, that we have great pleasure in giving this very well deserved award. "