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Young Londoner of the year

Raiché Mederick suffered 70 percent burns in a house fire as a toddler A woman from Waltham Forest was named ‘Young Londoner of the Year’ for […]By Waltham Forest Echo

Raiché Mederick suffered 70 percent burns in a house fire as a toddler

Raiché Mederick collects her trophy at the Mayor’s Fund for London Awards

A woman from Waltham Forest was named ‘Young Londoner of the Year’ for her “bravery, entrepreneurship and desire to help others”.

The third annual Mayor’s Fund for London Awards held earlier this month saw 23-year-old Raiché Mederick presented the award at City Hall.

Raiché, who suffered from severe burns as a child, is establishing her own charity for burns survivors and will focus on helping them through burns trauma.

She has previously volunteered and worked for several charities, including The Children’s Burns Club and Katie Piper Foundation, while her passion for events and helping others led to her involvement with an arts programme called Creativity Works. After securing a place at the Cato Academy for Tour and Music Management with a bursary, she became a mentor and regularly returns to advise new recruits.

Raiché has also run the London Marathon, completing the race despite breaking her foot. She says: “I was always taught that dreams were important, to always look to the future, to understand that life is so much bigger than what’s happened to me.”

Sir Harvey McGrath, trustee of the Mayor’s Fund for London, said: “Raiché is a great example of a young Londoner who has shown resilience and bravery in making the most of the opportunities London has to offer. Congratulations to her.”

The Mayor’s Fund for London is a social mobility charity that empowers young Londoners from disadvantaged backgrounds to acquire the skills and opportunities they need to secure employment, and climb the career ladder.


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