Celebrating Faith, Belief and Community: AWL Wins at the London Dangoor Awards 2025
Last week, our Chair of Trustees, Tony Coyne, and our CEO Gary Buckley had the privilege of attending the Faith & Belief Forum’s London Dangoor Awards 2025, a wonderful annual celebration of the capital’s diverse faith and belief communities. The event, supported by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London’s Council on Faith, brought together organisations, volunteers, local leaders and community champions from across the city — all united by a shared commitment to inclusion, dignity and solidarity.
It was one of those evenings where London feels like the best version of itself: warm, open, proudly diverse, and deeply human.
Action West London recognised for Promoting Inclusion
We were deeply honoured that Action West London received a London Dangoor Award in the category: Promoting Inclusion and Supporting Communities Facing Complex Challenges of Exclusion and Discrimination — particularly where discrimination intersects with faith, belief, culture and identity.
For a charity rooted in West London’s vibrancy and complexity, this award means a great deal. It recognises the everyday work our staff, volunteers and partners put into creating welcoming spaces where everyone feels valued, no matter their journey, background or belief.
In a city where disadvantage often overlaps with migration, trauma, language barriers and social isolation, inclusion isn’t just a principle for us — it’s a lifeline.
ESOL in Hillingdon: A standout example of faith-aware inclusion
One of the highlights of the evening was the recognition of our ESOL project in Hillingdon, generously supported by City Bridge Trust, specifically for refugees and asylum seekers.
Over the past year and a half, this initiative has supported more than 450 individuals. Many arrive with limited English, uncertain immigration status, and little connection to the communities around them. Through ESOL classes, outreach, 1-to-1 guidance, and signposting, we help them navigate everyday life — from registering with a GP, to understanding local systems, to building the confidence to enter employment when ready.
What makes this project special is how it honours the whole person: their culture, their faith, their identity, their hopes. It acknowledges the complexity of starting again in a new country and gives people the tools and confidence to move forward.
Inclusion as an anti-poverty strategy
The Faith & Belief Forum was clear in its message: community inclusion is not a “nice to have”. It is an essential response to the inequalities too many Londoners still face due to their identity, belief or background.
At Action West London, this sits squarely within our mission to reduce poverty through employment, education and enterprise. Whether we’re running ESOL classes, supporting people into work, developing green-skills programmes, or building community at Acton Market, the purpose is the same:
to open doors, widen opportunities, and help people belong.
A proud moment — and a shared achievement
Tony and Gary accepted the award on behalf of the entire AWL community — our staff, our volunteers, our trustees, our partners, and the hundreds of Londoners who trust us enough to walk through our doors each year.
This recognition belongs to them.
It belongs to the learners in Hillingdon finding their voice.
It belongs to the faith groups like St Mary’s Acton who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us.
It belongs to the organisations who support our work, from City Bridge Trust to local businesses.
We are proud — and we are motivated to keep going.
Looking forward
The evening reminded us of something important: London works at its best when its communities stand together, across beliefs, cultures, languages and identities. AWL will continue to build those bridges, challenge discrimination, and create spaces where people can learn, grow and thrive.
A huge thank you to the Faith & Belief Forum, the Dangoor family, the Lord-Lieutenant’s Council on Faith, and to everyone who celebrated with us.
Here’s to a more inclusive, welcoming, and hopeful London — and to the communities who make it possible.