The annual awards honour individuals who devote their time to supporting communities across the borough, celebrating those who have made a real difference in Kingston. There were 14 winners at this year’s awards, which took place at the Guildhall.

John, from Hampton, has been volunteering for Momentum for seven years and during this time, he has used his artistic talents to paint more than 700 pebbles to gift to families who have a child with cancer or a life-challenging condition. John also paints ‘in memory’ pebbles for families supported through our bereavement service, Echoes.

John paints the pebbles as a way of showing support to families at an incredibly difficult time – every pebble is unique. Children can have their pebble at home, in their garden, or they can take it to hospital – it can be with them wherever they go. Each pebble takes John between two hours to a whole day to paint, and his designs have included Spiderman, Peppa Pig, Taylor Swift, and the London skyline. 

John started pebble painting eight years ago. He hid pebbles in the playground of his granddaughter’s school which children hunted for. Someone at the school asked John to paint one for her friend whose son Thomas had sadly died. The design was a silhouette of her husband and other son, looking up at Thomas, who was now a special star. The family, who had been supported by Momentum, loved having a bespoke pebble so beautifully painted, and they asked John if he would be able to paint pebbles for other families too.

John also volunteers at Momentum events, and is part of our Doorstep Santa initiative, dressing up as Santa to visit families in their homes, bringing a special dose of magic and Christmas cheer to families.

The Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Liz Green, praised the award winners, saying: “The awards highlight the kindness, dedication and resilience of our community. It is a privilege to recognise those who give their time and energy to support others.”

Talking about his award, John said: “I am overjoyed and was not expecting this award. The evening was fantastic, and on top of the award, winners each received a £50 Marks and Spencer voucher, and Poor Boys treated us to a delicious meal. I have now painted 745 pebbles and currently have seven more on the go. I enjoy everything about volunteering for Momentum and hope to continue for many years to come.”

Our Founder and CEO, Bianca Effemey OBE said: “A huge congratulations to John on this thoroughly well-deserved award. John is very much part of the Momentum family; he brightens our day every time he comes into the office to drop off painted pebbles. We are incredibly grateful to have John – he takes pride in everything he does, and he has had a profound impact on a huge number of local families.”

Find out more about volunteering with Momentum here