Shereen Samara has been nominated for a Croydon Champions diversity award for fighting disability, race and sex discrimination.

KIM THEOBALD spoke to her.

Meeting her great grandmother for the first time while on holiday in Jamaica inspired Shereen Samara to help others. "My great grandmother sat me down and told me a lot of stories about the past and how difficult life can be unless you really work at it," she said, "And it made me realise that when I got back to England I wanted to really make a difference."

That was when she was 14. Now 23, Shereen is a first year student at Brunel University studying for a masters law degree. And she spends a lot of time working on various diversity projects in Croydon.

Shereen started as a volunteer at the Croydon and Sutton Law Centre in Park Lane, Croydon, in October 2004.

Her bosses were so impressed with her work, a position was created for her. In August last year she took on a permanent role as equality co-ordinator.

Shereen said: "When I started it just covered race discrimination but I felt it was not diverse enough and wanted this extended so I asked for it to be widened."

Her work now covers all aspects of discrimination. She helped draw up Croydon Council's ethnic monitoring forms and is involved in the community safety unit in association with Croydon police, which helps victims of hate and homophobic crimes.

"I have visited Ashburton and Whitgift schools to speak to children about how to live with other cultures and the richness of diversity. I also attend the Croydon Communitive Police Consultative Committee meetings, Croydon community network for lifelong learning and have worked with Age Concern."

Shereen is involved in the much-publicised Show Racism The Red Card campaign and goes to Crystal Palace Football Club matches.

She is working to promote Croydon Youth Project, which researches black history and its contribution to the war effort for the Imperial War Museum in London.

Shereen volunteers for Croydon Victim Support as a management trustee, in addition to speaking to volunteers about hate crime and domestic violence and how best to improve their service.

And, still not exhausted, she gives up more of her time volunteering at Croydon Magistrates' Court helping to recruit ethnic minority people as magistrates.

Although Shereen lives in Greenwich, all her voluntary work takes place in Croydon.

She added: "I feel more connected to Croydon than anywhere else. It feels like its own city and not like a London borough. I love it, I really do."

Talking about her nomination, she said: "I was shocked and excited."

Shereen was nominated by her friend and ex-colleague Dionne Dykins-Clarke, who said: "Shereen works tirelessly to champion equality and diversity in Croydon.

"She provides advice and outreach work often in her own time on disability, race and sex discrimination. Having previously worked for the Racial Equality Partnership, Shereen embodies the true notion of a diversity champion for Croydon."

Do you know someone who deserves recognition? You can nominate them for a Champions award by filling in the form on this page or online at croydonguardian.

co.uk and clicking on the Champions link.