Restore Founder receives Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement

Peter Agulnik, who co-founded Restore with Lord Young of Dartington in 1977, received the Outstanding Individual Achievement Award at the Charity Times Awards on 22 October.

Peter, now retired, worked as a consultant psychiatrist at Littlemore Hospital in Oxford for more than thirty years, and was instrumental in the development of a number of Oxfordshire charities in his spare time (including Restore, the Ley Community, Elmore Community Services and Response).

Restore would not exist without his vision, hard work, support and guidance. He remained a Trustee up until last year and is now President of the organisation.

Marian Allsopp, one of our Trustees who nominated Peter for the award, said,

‘We cannot recommend Peter Agulnik’s work too highly. Thanks to him, the project of social psychiatry has not been lost in an era in which pharmacological and neurological developments in this field have been paramount.

‘What is more, he has imparted his deep sense of purpose to the organisations he has founded and been involved with. He has guided them through periods of scarce funding and, with his unfailing ingenuity, has helped them to adapt to a continually changing policy environment, whilst the principles behind their work remain unchanged. He has done this through expending an enormous amount of time and effort, always being available for consultation, always being kind, courteous and wise.

‘Peter’s imaginative contribution to the wellbeing and recovery of the vulnerable has been incomparable and his contribution to the charity sector immense.’

The Charity Times Awards judges said, ‘As a consultant psychiatrist, Dr Peter Agulnk’s work with NGOs in Oxfordshire over more than thirty years was unparalleled. He maintained a profound belief in the possibility of recovery for the addicted and the seriously mentally ill, and strove tirelessly to achieve the support systems necessary, including founding several new, pioneering charities.’