Teenager Abigail Saltman has jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet for charity — yet has her feet firmly on the ground when it comes to volunteering for London’s Jewish community in both Barnet and Redbridge.

She helps out at Jewish Care’s day centre services among her many other charitable activities.

Now the 18-year-old has topped it all by being named Jewish Volunteer Network’s Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer of the Year — one of 89 “community heroes” receiving awards.

“Never in a million years did I expect to win this,” she said. “I do this because I enjoy helping others and seeing the impact I can have.”

Abigail started volunteering when she was at Hasmonean High School in Mill Hill, when she was just 14.

But she hasn’t stopped there and is currently doing voluntary work in Israel despite the current situation in the Middle East — too busy volunteering, in fact, to accept the award herself.

It was left to her dad Ben Saltman to take the accolade on her behalf at the January 14 awards night at Watford’s Grove Hotel.

The proud dad said afterwards: “It just goes to show that if you have a heart and want to give something back then you should. As a father, it’s amazing to see the joy she gives from helping others.”

Abi’s passion for volunteering inspired her to take fundraising to new heights when she did her 10,000ft skydive in the summer to raise £3,500 for Jewish Care charity’s Redbridge development project which begins construction this month.

The State President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, opened the awards night with a video message from Jerusalem about the October 7 attacks by Hamas which kicked off the current crisis, but it was volunteers he said that bind the community together.

The Volunteer Network’s chair Daniel Levy said: “This was a moment to reflect on volunteering at a time of unparalleled difficulty in Israel and in our community, to put the spotlight on the real heroes and give charities the chance to shine.”

A Lifetime Achievement award went to Valerie Nead who helps out twice a week at Jewish Care’s Michael Sobell centre in Golders Green — despite living with cancer.

Valerie was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkinson’s Lymphoma a year after she started volunteering and was then told it was incurable.

Other Lifetime awards went to Ann and Bob Kirk from the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St John’s Wood. Both survived the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Europe and each made their way to Britain after the War where they met in London in 1949 and married. They have volunteered at the synagogue ever since.

Two Volunteer of the Year awards went to Geoff Wrightman and Louise Bronstein.

Geoff has been delivering Meals on Wheels four days a week for the past five years. Louise spends her time coordinating 28 volunteer drivers who collect pensioners living alone and bring them to the charity’s weekly tea parties and run them home again.

Guests at the awards night included the King’s representative Lord Lieutenant of Barnet, Robert Voss, and the mayors of Barnet and neighbouring Hertsmere.