Victor Koroma

Victor has dedicated 25 years to advocating for the rights of minority and marginalised communities in Reading, said his nominator for the Legacy Award, sponsored by Vale & West.

He arrived in the UK in 1988 from Sierra Leone to pursue education and earned a law degree after experiencing racial discrimination firsthand.

From 1999 to 2011, Koroma served as Deputy Director of the Reading Council for Racial Equality, providing advice on immigration and employment discrimination.

By 2012, he was the CEO of the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE) having developed proposals to merge two organisations and create a unified voice for community advocacy, a position he held until he retired in December last year.

His many achievements include establishing the first major conference on culturally-based violence against women and girls with a focus on female genital mutilation (FGM) in 2015, and creating the pan-Equalities Alliance in 2014, which monitors hate crime and community safety, said his nominator.

He also spearheaded the Community Matters initiative with Thames Valley Police, hosting sessions attended by over 300 community representatives.

In 2017, ACRE established the Rose Centre, providing a safe space for survivors of cultural domestic violence, forced marriage and FGM.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Koroma supported NHS efforts to increase vaccine uptake in minoritised communities and helped establish a community wellbeing hub in 2022, which now attracts 120 to150 weekly.

Victor has also served on numerous advisory boards and received recognition, including the Local Heroes Award in 2018 and the Area Commander's Certificate of Recognition in 2025 for promoting good police-community relations.

He was also instrumental in organising Reading's annual Holocaust Memorial Day as a civic event for over 17 years

He is a founding member of the Refugee Support Group and Reading City of Sanctuary, and supported the University of Reading with the University of Sanctuary Award.