A Brixton pastor was recognised by the King’s New Year Honours list for her dedicated services to young people and her efforts to tackle knife crime.
Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell, founder and chief executive officer of the Dwayne Simpson Foundation, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
The 52-year-old has lived in Brixton her whole life, taking part in community work from the age of 19 and raising her family in the area.
She said: “I love what I do, serving the most vulnerable in my community and making this world a better place through giving and spreading awareness of the peace we all have within.”
Pastor Jones-Burrell established the Dwayne Simpson Foundation in 2014 after her son, Dwayne, tragically lost his life to knife crime.
Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) (Picture: Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell)
Dwayne was just 20 years old when he was stabbed to death as he tried to protect his friend in Brixton’s Angell Town estate in February 2014. In December 2014, Rio Julienne-Clarke was jailed for manslaughter over the former Lambeth College student’s death.
The Dwayne Simpson Foundation is located in Loughborough Park APG Community Centre, Moorland Road.
The service provides healthy meals and groceries to young people and families on a daily basis as well as support with housing, social services, health and wellbeing and free IT services.
Pastor Jones-Burrell said: “Since the tragic death of my son Dwayne, I have totally committed to supporting young people giving a listening ear to the most vulnerable and bringing practical help to uplift and empower them to reach their goals no matter how small they may be.”
A year before his death, Dwayne was given council funding to start a community boxing club in Angell Town, Brixton.
He set up Dwaynamics in a small hall on the Angell Town estate and held regular sessions each week for children and young people in the area.
Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell has dedicated her life to fighting knife crime after the tragic death of her son in 2014 (Picture:Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell)
After his death, his mother registered the boxing group as a Community Interest Company.
Today Dwaynamics continues to offer boxing sessions from a gym in Belinda Road. The club is designed to steer at-risk youth away from gang-culture, knife crime and gun violence, and encourage them to see that there is a future.
Pastor Jones-Burrell said: “At a time which is most desperate with youth violence still a major problem combined with the food poverty stemmed from the cost of living crisis knowing the King has given us his support has strengthened me.
“Our work strengthens us as a community doing good.”
This is not the first time Pastor Jones-Burrell has been praised by the royals for her work.
In 2017, she received the Queens Award for voluntary work and was later met by Queen Camila at Dwaynamics boxing gym in 2022.
Pictured top: Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell, holds a picture of her son Dwayne (Picture: Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell)