Leading UK charity, Centrepoint, held its annual awards ceremony last week, celebrating the resilience and achievements of young people who have overcome homelessness.

The star-studded awards ceremony took place at the British Museum, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and attended by award presenters including Prince William, Lady Kitty Spencer, West Ham footballer Jarrod Bowen and presenter Yinka. It was an evening dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of young people, with a vision to end youth homelessness in the UK.

College of North West London alum, Andrew Onasanya, received the Independent Living Award for his success overcoming homelessness and his inspiring work campaigning for others in similar situations.

Andrew said: “I am so grateful to receive this Independent Living award; I hope it shows that things really can get better if you continue to work at them, and I see this as the first chapter in my story. I would like to thank the Apprenticeships Team at United Colleges Group, particularly my tutor, Stephen, for their patience and understanding while I was going through a challenging time while completing my apprenticeship, and I’d also like to thank my assessors Mark and Francis.

While training as an electrical apprentice at College of North West London, Andrew took charge of his future by reaching out for support from Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme, enabling him to live safely during work and study. Andrew completed his Level 3 Electrotechnical Apprenticeship Standard at CNWL last year and is now a qualified electrician. Outside his work, Andrew is an advocate for vulnerable young people and campaigns to end youth homelessness.