Activist from Sheffield celebrates her second top award win

Paddy Lillis congratulates Christina Distefano on her TUC Youth Award.

Christina Distefano scooped this year’s TUC Youth award, and was commended for the positive impact she has on her local community and the work she does to try and bring people together.

Christina graduated from Usdaw’s Academy, where she recruited over 1,000 members to the union and assisted young workers to help them to achieve fairness at work.

She has also run successful campaigns on mental health awareness, advised and helped members, and has responded to high crime rates by promoting Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear campaign, which seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers.

Christina, who won the TUC Promising New Activist award last year, is also active in her local community as part of the ‘Action for Stannington’ group and has worked with probationary services and the police to provide activities for young people.

Christina said she was pleased to receive the award and also happy that her commitment had been recognised.

“Receiving this award really did show me that hard work does pay off.

“There’s so many things going on in the world at the moment that drives a wedge between people and I find that doing small acts can bring us together.

“I volunteer to help people, whether at work through Usdaw or in the community with ‘Action for Stannington’.

“Being an Usdaw rep and a community volunteer is just like being part of a big family. I’ve had so much help from so many people in the union and my community, they have really made me the person I am today.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary said: “Lay reps are fundamentally crucial to the union and Christina is a shining example of what they can achieve.

“She has really brought her community organising skills into her workplace and Usdaw to help and support our members.

“We were delighted to present Christina with an Usdaw most promising new activist award last year. So we are all extremely proud that she has now gone on to secure a national TUC award.”

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