Francis Ahiakpa has been one of the major driving forces at the Humber All Nations Alliance (HANA) for a number of years.
The organisation advocates for minority groups in Hull as well as acting as a conduit for information between communities and authorities.
As HANA chief executive, Francis has built a strong team to ensure the best possible service from what has become a beacon for minority communities.
“I’m grateful that other people are looking at what we are doing,” Francis said of his commendation, after being visited by deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Leo Hammond.
“Over the years our job has been to help people settle and be happy here. We work with other organisations to help people understand where they are and how they can be supported.
“None of it could be done without a strong board to support me and a strong community. And our partners too, including the police, who help us learn how best we can support our community.”
Francis was nominated for a commendation by Carl Duck, who works as funding and partnerships officer for HANA, alongside his own business interests.
As part of his nomination, Carl wrote: “Francis works in a hugely challenging environment to keep HANA operating. He works behind the scenes and much of his work goes unseen.
“He advocates for minority groups in Hull and is facilitating long term change. His role, networking and personality is supportive and engaging. Whilst HANA as an organisation has had issues in the past before Francis was in the chief officer role, he is now recruiting highly qualified people which augurs well for the future.”
To watch a video from Francis' commendation presentation, click play below.
