Volunteers recognised with ELBA awards

London City Airport won the employment champion award, Emma Baudey of Bank of America was the legacy champion, while the Rokeby Business Support group, which includes Tate & Lyle, the FSA, London City Airport, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and Newham Education Business Partnership won the partnerships award for their work supporting Rokeby Secondary School.

Joint winners for the individual volunteer award were Taran Wilkhu from Nomura and Laura-Louise White from UBS. Hammerson won the volunteer team award for their team challenges with The Map Squad in Spitalfields.

ELBA chief executive Liam Kane said: "We are delighted that volunteering numbers and those volunteers' commitment to supporting the East London community has been maintained throughout 2009 despite current economic conditions.

"All 107 of our member companies deserve an award, but these were the best of the best and their efforts were truly outstanding and were worthy winners."

ELBA is a membership organisation connecting businesses to local people and community partners enabling social, economic and infrastructure change, primarily through employee volunteering, helping people into work and ensuring a positive legacy beyond the 2012 Olympics.

Over the last year 8,000 volunteers from the City and Canary Wharf gave their time, skill and expertise to schools and voluntary organisations across East London. ELBA has also lobbied on the future of the Olympic broadcast centre and has helped almost 400 local people into work.

For more on ELBA's work visit elba-1.org.uk.