On November 6, Lord Boateng will receive the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the charity Ghana UK Based Achievement Awards for his contribution to the Britain’s Ghanaian community.  Best known as “A Man Who Likes to Be First”, Lord Boateng was Britain’s first black Cabinet Minister in the UK and is now the first British-Ghanaian to sit in the House of Lords.

Lord Paul Boateng, former British High Commissioner to South Africa, was born in Hackney but lived in Accra, Ghana, until the age of 15. In 1966 he was forced to flee, with his mother and sister, because his father was sent to jail without trial.

Lord Boateng says: “My early years and education in Ghana have been a constant source of strength and inspiration to me. Ghana’s greatest resource lies not in gold, cocoa or oil but in the spirit of its peoples. These Awards are a mile stone in recognizing that fact. I am deeply grateful for what they represent in our own and the wider community to which so many people of Ghanaian origin, from all walks of life, make a significant contribution.”

Holby City star Hugh Quarshie, who plays Consultant Surgeon Ric Griffin, will be presenting this prestigious award to Lord Boateng. Hugh was born in Accra. Hugh says: ”The GUBA awards are there to show that there is a lot of positivity in our community. The Ghanaian community has never been rewarded in this way before”

The Ghana UK Based Achievement Award is the only one of its kind to honour people like Lord Boateng. Other nominees include Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, and Arsenal ladies midfielder Rachel Yankey MBE both nominated for the Best African Sports Personality.