Columban Competition Winning Article: 'Who I Find Inspirational!'

Scarlett Peart-Lapidge

Peart-Lapidge, of Bishop Thomas Grant School in London, came joint third of the British entries in the Columban Schools Competition on the subject: 'Anyone can make a difference: 21st Century Changemakers'. She wrote about Margaret Mizen.

There are many people I find inspirational. My family and teachers are those who immediately come to mind. However, I want to talk about a special woman, who spreads love and teaches us how to forgive even when we really don't want to. That woman is Margret Mizen. I could talk about the whole family to be honest, but she stands out to me. But before I am able to tell you why she is so incredible, I need to tell you Jimmy's story.

On 10 May 2008 Jimmy was going to a bakery with his brother. Upon walking into the bakery he saw Jake Fahri, someone whom Jimmy's older sibling had been harassed by years previously. They got into a fight, resulting in a glass plate being thrown at Jimmy, killing him.

Jimmy's mum came to my primary school, and I had the honour of listening to all the fun times she had with him. Like how he was excited to buy a lottery ticket and how he was an overall happy boy, with a carefree and laidback nature. She also told his story. But I was confused. How was she so strong? She was able to talk about what had happened and still not dwell obsessively over the tragedy. Moments later, she began to show us her path to acceptance. She talked about how devastated she was, losing her son. And how she felt every emotion. But what amazed me was when she told everyone in the room about how she forgave the man who killed Jimmy. At that very moment, it was as if everything in the room had shifted. No one was expecting that. We eagerly listened on. She told us how she promised herself how she would keep Jimmy's name alive and would be an advocate for peace.

Mrs Mizen is an amazing woman who draws her strength from religion, and this is why I chose her. She's the perfect role model and imbeds what a true Catholic is. She has devoted her life to helping young people feel safe and on the 10th anniversary of Jimmy's death she created a campaign to stop knife crime which resulted in it cutting down by 30%. She is doing this to honour her son's name and making the streets safer for young people like me, and making us feel safe to walk home. And for that I thank her, because there are not many who would be so kind, especially with what she has been through. The way she channels everything she does with positive energy is so admirable.

When I was eleven in 2018 I was fortunate enough to meet her again, this time with five of my classmates and two teachers. It was a Mass dedicated to Jimmy. With every word Margret Mizen said, you could feel fondness radiate from it. We sang hymns in Jimmy's honour, but we weren't there to mourn. We were there to celebrate, to celebrate what the 'FOR JIMMY' charity has done, and quite simply celebrating his life.

But what has the 'FOR JIMMY' charity done? You may ask. Well one thing they have done is they carried out research using five different schools in Lewisham, and found out that 90% of students believed that their lack of work experience was holding them back. What did they do to help? They taught young people the skills and confidence to land and keep long term employment and how to avoid criminal and anti-social behaviour.

If I wanted to, I could have talked about Greta Thunberg, Martin Luther King, Marcus Rashford and so many others, but I didn't. I think what sticks out about the Mizen family is that they mirror all of our daily lives. We have so much in common with the Mizens. Just a normal family and Jimmy just a normal boy. He was a boy with his future ahead of him, his memories making him who he was, and, like Mrs Mizen said, a boy who was "always smiling". And for me personally their family morals really chime with my own. This is why their cause really resonates with me and many others.

We all have the power to be like her, to be like them. What that family do is incredible. We all say, "I could only dream of being that strong". But that is false. We can be strong, we can fight for the right thing. I'm not saying this to discredit them. I'm saying this because that is partially, to me, what the 'FOR JIMMY' movement is about. We all have the potential to be like them. It is achievable! Together we can make our local community better, safer and most importantly stronger.

Overall, the whole Mizen family are extraordinary, and are a perfect example of how to grow, and spread love, not hate

Link to all winners: www.columbancompetition.com/