We are delighted to announce that Jennie Fortune has been awarded the Welcoming Award at the National Expert Citizens Insights Awards, for her outstanding commitment to compassionate support for people experiencing severe social disadvantage.
Commissioned by Labour-run, Westminster City Council, the Blue Light programme provides intensive, relationship-based outreach to people facing multiple disadvantage, including long term alcohol dependence, poor physical and mental health, housing insecurity and social isolation. Delivered in close partnership with local services and community organisations, the programme reflects the Labour Council’s commitment to reducing health inequalities through local, person centred approaches.
Through her pioneering outreach in the Maida Hill Market area, Jennie engages with people whose lives are often shaped by entrenched hardship and exclusion from traditional services. Her approach is intentionally simple yet impactful: no forms, no thresholds and no conditions, just consistent presence, warmth and genuine human connection. Whether through a cup of hot chocolate, a conversation, or simply showing up week after week, Jennie creates spaces where people feel welcomed, seen and valued.
A key part of this work is the weekly One Stop Shop that takes place in the WECH Selbourne Hall, delivered alongside a community brunch that regularly brings together dozens of local people. Through this hub, Jennie has convened a core group of health, housing and welfare professionals to provide accessible, on-the-spot support. This includes primary healthcare, immunisations, blood tests, housing advice, substance misuse support and welfare checks, removing barriers for people who often struggle to engage with mainstream services.
Since its development, the Blue Light outreach in Maida Hill’s Harrow Road ward has:
- Maintained regular engagement with a highly marginalised local population
- Enabled on site access to healthcare and preventative interventions
- Supported people to reconnect with housing, health and substance misuse services
- Helped individuals take first steps towards stability, treatment and accommodation
- Strengthened local trust in services through consistency and relationship building
Jennie has also led innovative initiatives to address health inequalities in the area, including coordinating mobile screening for blood borne viruses and TB, facilitating defibrillator and first aid training in the market square, and expanding access to Naloxone, a life-saving medication used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. These initiatives improve health outcomes while also strengthening community safety and connection.
Cllr Concia Albert, Cabinet Member for Communities said:
“Huge congratulations to Jennie! This national recognition reflects the power of Westminster’s Blue Light programme and our administration’s commitment to compassionate, preventative, place-based support. Jennie’s success demonstrates that when services are rooted in relationships and trust, they can transform outcomes for residents facing the most complex challenges.”