Redbridge lands top prize for entry in New Year's Day parade

The Mayor of Redbridge, Cllr Thavathuray Jeyaranjan, has scooped a top prize of £15,000 for his Mayor's Appeal Committee entry in the recent New Year's Day parade in central London.

All boroughs and the City of Westminster are invited to enter the Parade with some form of entertainment based on the annual parade theme 'The Greatest Show on Earth'. Maria Sanchez from Treehouse Nursery Schools, Wanstead, came up with an idea of saving the environment, which the Redbridge entry was based on. The entry can be an act, float, performance, or dance ensemble, making the borough entries the heart of London's New Year's Day Parade.

The parade acts were judged on professionalism, costumes, talent, originality and overall performance. The Redbridge float was awarded 95 points in total from members of the public who were randomly selected and placed at different locations at grandstands throughout the Parade. 

The Mayor of Redbridge, Cllr Thavathuray Jeyaranjan, said: "We're delighted that we've won this competition. I attended the Parade, and it was such a great atmosphere. It was lovely to see people out and about enjoying themselves once again. This event shows that London is one of the best capital cities in the world.

"I'd like to say a big thank you to Maria Sanchez for providing the inspiration for our entry, Honey Kalaria for the wonderful choreography and our wider Mayor's Appeal Committee and Deputy Mayor Namreen Chaudhry for making this achievement possible. I'd also like to thank all the sponsors who made this event possible, the children of Black Ice Dancing School, and all the participants. Protecting the environment is a very topical and emotive subject, and it's good that we used this opportunity to highlight an issue that is so important to people worldwide."

The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, said: "Congratulations to the Mayor and his team for landing such a prestigious prize. This is always a hotly contested category, so winning is a huge achievement. I know that the prize money will be gratefully received by both charities, who will put it to good use."

All parade entries are automatically entered into the Boroughs' Competition, competing for a share of the big charity cash prize, which in recent years has been £40,000 for the winning Borough. Since the first Parade in 1987, LNYDP has raised well over 2 million pounds for London charities.

The prize money will be donated to the Mayor's designated charities, which are King George & Queens Hospital Charity & One Place East.