Dean Rowe Award Winner 2011: Kooler Bar

Leeds Black Awards is an annual event that was set up to celebrate the achievements of people of African lineage in Leeds.

It is also designed to celebrate those who contribute to the ‘Black experience’ irrespective of their race (as was evidenced by one of this year’s awards).

The nominees for each category are established primarily online via the LBA website www.leedsblackawards.com).

There is also a special award that is presented by the LBA Committee to an individual or group that we feel has made an outstanding contribution to the community. This award is named after a young man who was a very influential member of the community who sadly passed through illness in the year of our formation.

The young man was named Dean Rowe and was affectionately known to many as ‘Judge’.

This year’s DEAN ROWE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT was given to a man that has been active in the community for over 45 years!

John Collier aka ‘KOOLER BAR’ is an Ice Cream vendor.

Now to the casual eye this might NOT seem like much, but John is precisely the kind of person that embodies the ethos of the Leeds Black Awards.

John has gone about what seems to many a very simple role to become an integral part of the very fabric of the community.

Not only is he owed countless pounds in credit (for all the free ice cream he has given to ‘impoverished’ youth), he also contributes to local charities in both time and finance.

John does all that he does without thought of reward or recognition, which is the reason that it was thought that he would be a fitting candidate for this award. This decision was admirably justified at the awards ceremony where John enjoyed a more than 5-minute standing ovation from the capacity audience.

There is a special award that is presented by the LBA Committee to an individual or group that we feel has made an outstanding contribution to the community. This award is named after a young man who was a very influential member of the community who sadly passed through illness in the year of our formation.

The young man was named Dean Rowe and was affectionately known to many as ‘Judge’.

This year’s DEAN ROWE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT was given to a man that has been active in the community for over 45 years!

John Collier aka ‘KOOLER BAR’ is an Ice Cream vendor.

Now to the casual eye this might NOT seem like much, but John is precisely the kind of person that embodies the ethos of the Leeds Black Awards.

John has gone about what seems to many a very simple role to become an integral part of the very fabric of the community.

Not only is he owed countless pounds in credit (for all the free ice cream he has given to ‘impoverished’ youth), he also contributes to local charities in both time and finance.

John does all that he does without thought of reward or recognition, which is the reason that it was thought that he would be a fitting candidate for this award. This decision was admirably justified at the awards ceremony where John enjoyed a more than 5-minute standing ovation from the capacity audience.

If you feel that YOU know any deserving individuals in any of the categories, then use your vote and show them that you recognize their contribution.

One Love

Richard Smith, Founder