Cardinal Hume Award Recipient for living out the option for the poor

Tharaney, 17, is a student at St Dominic's Sixth Form College, Harrow. She has been working for the good of the community and those most in need. While completeing the National Citizen Service (NCS) Challenge, Tharaney began to visit a care home as part of her short placement. There she met Maria, who has dementia. Tharaney now volunteers regularly and has developed a social action project to encourage young people to become befrienders at care homes.

Tharaney has been elected onto the regional NCS Youth Board. She has also taken part in the 'Streetcare Project’, handing out packages which include essentials such as toiletries to help improve the lives of those in need.

As a practicing Hindu Tharaney has been inspired by her faith to work to give back to the community and has been taught to help those in need and not turn them away.

Tharaney Puvanachandran is from St Dominic's Sixth Form College, Harrow