Luciana Berger and Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger were honoured at today's Jewish Care Woman of Distinction lunch in central London.

Ms Berger, the former Labour and now Independent Group Liverpool Wavertree MP, received the Woman of Distinction award. Baroness Neuberger was honoured for lifetime achievement.

Addressing a packed room at the Institute of Directors in central London, Ms Berger spoke of an increasingly divided political landscape.

“We have seen hate speech become a lot more mainstream. We’re seeing a lot more violent images. We’ve seen a lot of very unpleasant language and there’s an increasing distrust and close-mindedness in our public life.

“There are many injustices and wrongs all around us. We see it on our doorstep, in our communities and across the globe.

“I am going to look at this fantastic award… and remember there are plenty of good people out there. There are certainly many, many good people in this room.

“I just want to thank Jewish Care and everyone here. It’s really incredibly touching. It really means a lot.”

In the same vein, Baroness Neuberger urged audience members to "say we are proud Brits, we’re proud Jews, we’re proud women, we’re proud Zionists… and we’re not having any of this nonsense”.

Earlier, Deborah Davis, the screenwriter of award-winning film The Favourite, discussed the difficulties women face in juggling high-profile careers and motherhood.

And Sidney Corob House resident Michael Yaghoubi spoke of how his life had been transformed at the West Hampstead home, which cares for those above the age of 50 with mental health needs.

Mr Yaghoubi, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, said: “No amount of words can express my gratitude to Jewish Care and the Sidney Corob House team for making me who I am today. I hope that by hearing my story, you have gained a greater understanding of why your support is so important.”

Sidney Corob House was the beneficiary of the lunch.