Cardinal Hume Centre - Advising Londoners award nominations

We're delighted to have received two nominations for the Advising Londoners Awards.

Firstly, our advice teams have been nominated for Best use of innovation by an advice service.

Our housing, welfare rights and assessment team have been piloting outreach sessions in local primary schools to help us reach those in need of advice who aren't currently receiving it. This work has been alongside our family services team running sessions in temporary accommodation hotels as another avenue to reach families in need of advice.

By embedding advice services in the places where families already are, including schools and temporary accommodation, we are reaching people who might otherwise never seek support.

Our integrated model enables families to resolve multiple challenges through a single trusted relationship, preventing problems from escalating and helping children thrive despite the challenges they face.

Our advice services have also been recognised by external standards for the quality of our advice provision, notably receiving the Advice Quality Standard for the third time in April this year.

Over the past year, this integrated model has delivered strong outcomes for clients, including:

• 242 people made steps towards secure, and/or sustained accommodation through the support of our housing advice team
• £348,544 – financial gain for clients through maximised or restored benefits
• £219,540 – backdated money awarded
• 75 clients supported into employment, training, volunteering, work placements or mentoring
• 71 people supported to secure or extend their right to remain in the UK, with 189 receiving advice and casework immigration support who are awaiting an outcome.

Secondly, our welfare rights specialist, Jenny Papworth, has been shortlisted for an Advising Londoners Award 2026, recognising her outstanding contribution to helping people access the financial support they are entitled to.

Jenny is a finalist in the ‘Best contribution to advice by an individual’ category, recognising more than a decade of dedication to supporting people facing financial hardship in Westminster.

Jenny is particularly respected for her ability to resolve complex cases, her extensive knowledge of welfare benefits law and her determination to achieve the best possible outcomes for clients.

Jenny's expertise and commitment are also widely recognised by colleagues at Westminster City Council.

Paul Thomson, revenue and benefits contacts manager said, ‘Jenny epitomises the hard work and dedication shown by all Cardinal Hume staff, however for her to stand out amongst such hard-working colleagues speaks volumes to her character and amazing work ethic. Jenny has fought for and championed hundreds, if not thousands of Westminster City residents over the many years that I've had the honour of working alongside her. She fully deserves to be recognised for all her hard work and for the positive impact she has had on our local community.’

Well done to all the teams involved, and congratulations and thanks to Jenny for such incredible dedication to the Centre's clients.