"Its all very humbling when you hear about peoples astonishing achievements that would never have come to light if they hadnt been nominated"
Paul Sesay, Founder
Paul Sesay, CEO of the Diversity Group, is the passionate guiding light behind the National Diversity Awards (NDA) that showcases the inspirational unsung heroes in every community.
At a time when division between British community’s is said to be at an all-time high, Sesay has a mission to celebrate the one thing we all have in common: diversity.
The ceremony, which will be held in September, embraces the excellence of every citizen, irrespective of race, faith religion, sexual orientation, age, disability or culture. With nominations having just closed for this year, Sesay reveals that the judges had a tough time choosing the most deserving winners in this year’s categories, which include race & religion, age, disability, gender, and LGBT from 20,000 nominations.
For many of those nominated, the award is simply the recognition that their voice has been heard. This year’s awards will take place in Sesay’s hometown of Liverpool.
For one special evening on September 16th, hundreds of people will gather at the city’s famous cathedral to celebrate these life enhancers who have been nominated in the fourth annual NDA awards.
“There’s a real buzz out there,” says Sesay, whose own tough start in life was the inspiration behind the awards. “It’s all very humbling when you hear about people’s astonishing achievements that would never have come to light if they hadn’t been nominated. The ceremonies can be very emotional – people are in tears listening to how a role model or a community organisation has changed people’s lives and inspired them to be the best they can in life.”
He continues: “The beautiful thing is that the recognition people receive from these awards helps them to gain more support with the work they are doing – whether it’s extra funding or more help from others. Just being able to put up the award on a website can often give a cause or an organisation a much-needed boost. It’s been an incredible journey so far, but I have to give credit to Microsoft who believed in us from the start and have continued to support us as our headline sponsor.”
The ceremony has also received backing from many high-profile names, including actor and comedian Stephen Fry; broadcaster Trevor Nelson; Paralympic medallist Ade Adepitan; actor Brian Blessed; six-time Olympian Tessa Sanderson, and singer Beverley Knight.
The event will be hosted by newsreader Charlene White and actor Richard Blackwood.
