Our awards

Since 2012, NASSA has gained national and local recognition for its work in using the power of basketball to change the lives of disadvantaged young people.

The highlight came in 2014 when we were named overall Charity of the Year in The Charity Awards 2014.

Every award is dedicated to every one of the young people, parents, volunteers and coaches who make up the NASSA family.

National awards:

Children & Young People Now Awards 2021

Mental Health and Wellbeing category — Finalist

DSC Social Change Awards 2020

Everyday Impact, Everybody Benefits, Long Term Enterprise Award — Finalist

Charity Times Awards 2016

Community category — ‘Highly Commended,’ for CABNAB programme

The Charity Awards 2014

Charity of the Year — Overall Winner
Children and Young People category — Winner

National Lottery Awards 2014

Finalist, for CABNAB programme

Business Charity Awards 2014

Community Partnership Award — Finalist, for our partnership work with Tate & Lyle Sugars

DSC Social Change Awards 2013

Everyday Impact, Long Term Enterprises — Runner-Up

Local awards:

Newham Business Awards 2023

Civic & Community Engagement — Winner

Keolis Amey Docklands Covid-19 Heroes Awards 2020

Good Team category – Winner

NASSA now has a plaque recognising the work of its mentoring team on the outside of a Docklands Light Railway train

East London Community Heroes Awards 2019

Outstanding Business Community Partnership — Finalist

East London Community Heroes Awards 2023

Outstanding Contribution In Sports Development — Winner

East London Community Heroes Awards 2020

Outstanding Initiative In Response to Covid-19 — Winner

Metropolitan Police Award 2014

NASSA became the first community organisation in Newham to receive the prestigious award which was presented in person by then Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

Individual awards:

2021

NASSA Founder and Chief Executive Natasha Hart MBE was named as a finalist in the Community Hero of the Year category at the East London Community Heroes Awards 2021

2018

Twins Kyan and Ilyas Dar were named joint Young Person of the Year at the L&Q Foundation Awards 2018 for their volunteering work on the NASSA L&Q Junior Coaches Programme

2016

NASSA player Tyrees Garrod won the Young Achiever Award at the Keolis Amey Docklands Community Champion Awards 2016 for his anti-bullying work drawn from the confidence gained at NASSA

2016

Carry A Basketball Not A Blade (CABNAB) Founder Anthony Okereafor won the Outstanding Service to the Community Award at the Keolis Amey Docklands Community Champion Awards 2016

2015

NASSA Founder and Chief Executive Natasha Hart was awarded MBE in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2015

2015

CABNAB founder Anthony Okereafor was named one of the UK’s Points of Light by then Prime Minister, Rt Hon David Cameron, 2015

2014

Then NASSA Head Coach Chris Facey was named Community Coach of the Year at the UK Coaching Awards 2014.

Chris was also named Coach of the Year at the London Sports Awards 2014 alongside then NASSA volunteer coach Aurimas Verbukas, who was named Volunteer of the Year

2012

Natasha Hart was invited to carry the Olympic Torch ahead of the 2012 London Games. As a tribute to her work by her native Russia, she was also invited to carry the Paralympic Torch ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Games