AN AWARDS ceremony honouring prominent individuals with African heritage took place within the mayor's parlour to celebrate Africa Day.

The ceremony was held at the Official Parlour of the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Dan Putty, on Thursday, May 23. 

The annual Africa Day, which takes place on May 25, is run by the Pan-African organisation, Africa United Diaspora was marked in Basingstoke, honouring people of African descent based in and around Basingstoke with awards. 

The Pan-African organisation, Africa United Diaspora, has headquarters based in Calgary Canada, and commits itself to being a strong and autonomous African community. 

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Basingstoke Gazette: Charlotte Nightingale, Tunde Adelakun, Mayor Dan Putty and Anthony Bravo OBECharlotte Nightingale, Tunde Adelakun, Mayor Dan Putty and Anthony Bravo OBE (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Putty said he was filled with “such a warm feeling” attending and winning an award himself.

President of the Africa United Diaspora, Dr Tunde Adelakun, awarded four individuals, for their service, who have gone beyond and above their normal duties and identified their roots in Africa.

He said: "We want to bring the people of Africa together, to make positive inroads in what we can do to help in the development of the continent that most people left behind in the state that it is in right now, drive change without affiliation but focusing more on people, and to help one another achieve greater heights in our various endeavour out here.

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"We also want to bring our children into a space where they can proudly identify with their African heritage." 

The winners of the award, Class A of 2024, were:

  • Anthony Bravo, Principal of the Basingstoke College of Technology
  • Ugbana Uyet, current Sergeant at Arms of the UK Parliament in Westminster
  • Charlotte Nightingale, community activist and charitable organisation leader
  • Mayor Dan Putty, who is Anglo Mauritian and has influence on inspiring the people of Mauritius and the wider African race. 

Africa United Diaspora began in Basingstoke, and is a global initiative with outreach established in the United Nations and Africa Union, illustrating people who care about how Africa is seen by the outside world. 

For more information visit facebook.com/uadcalgary.