The next in our series of National Award blogs is about the President's Discretionary Awards. These are awarded at the choice of the National President to those deserving recognition for their contribution to the organisation, which may not have fallen into the set awards categories. Let's meet our winners and find out about their activities which led to their awards:

Most Outstanding Senator - Andrew Thompson

Andrew led the JCI UK Foundation as Chairman of the Trustees for several years until the Foundation's most recent AGM in September 2016. In his tenure as chair, he saw the Foundation through a process of modernisation, seeing it change its name from the BJC Foundation to the JCI UK Foundation, the introduction of the use of social media, plus the creation of a new website and printed marketing materials. The working relationship with JCI UK has been greatly improved, with the Foundation Trustees becoming far more accessible and offering practical help and advice over and above the consideration of grant applications.

Most Outstanding Leader - Sammuel Kitone from JCI Greenwich

Sammuel is the "Vision Bearer" of JCI Greenwich - the person who had the initial idea and ambition to create a new chamber in South East London. He submitted a detailed needs analysis to the national board team at the start of the year, setting out how this new local organisation would contribute to its community. Sammuel has recruited and motivated a team to help him achieve his vision, creating a strong sense of belonging and pride in the chamber. The chamber has embraced JCI campaigns including Peace is Possible and the Sustainable Development Goals. Guiding a chamber from inception to affiliation over a period of six months is a huge achievement!

Most Outstanding Legacy - Rafael Tselikas from JCI London

Rafael has been an active member of JCI London since 2012. He initiated two major projects for the chamber: London2Ghana and Peace Week. Both projects were ambitious from the outset, having visions which line up with the JCI mission and values and setting out to make a difference in local and international communities. Rafael has nurtured these projects and the teams leading them, so they have endured and increased their impact. Both have gained recognition on the international stage, London2Ghana winning a European Award in 2016 and Peace Week being mentioned in 2016 World President Paschal's speech at World Congress General Assembly. On top of this Rafael has also led JCI London as Local President this year, tackling several challenging governance issues, which will ensure the chamber's long-term sustainability.