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Jeremy Corbyn took time off from a hectic schedule of hustings and public meetings as part of his Labour leadership challenge to visit a Holloway community centre on Friday.

Attending the annual awards ceremony for more than 50 volunteers, the Islington North MP said Manor Gardens, off Holloway Road, was a “very, very special place”.

He told the gathering: “The strength of a society and a community is... how we help each other, because when you’re helping each other you are helping yourself because you’ve got to know your neighbour and your neighbour’s got to know you.

“At the end of the day we all rely on each other. We all have to help each other. This place provides the centre for doing that.”

He attacked government welfare reforms to whoops and cheers from volunteers and staff.

He said he was “very proud” of the NHS and the welfare system, adding: “But I am not proud of the way it is under attack all the time. I know it sounds very old fashioned but I would say this: I want to live in a society where we have a social security system that does not allow people to end up sleeping rough, does not allow people to live destitute and where we recognise the hallmark of civilisation is caring for everybody.

“It is possible to do it. You might have to change things around a bit to find the resources to do it but I think it’s a price worth paying in levels of taxation to ensure we live in a decent society. Poverty and destitution are such a waste.”

Mr Corbyn received the support of Islington mayor Richard Greening, who said: “If I may adapt something Tony Blair recently said, [Jeremy Corbyn] is putting the heart back in the Labour party.”

Awards were handed out to volunteers who help out at a health advocacy project, community kitchens project and pre-school at Manor Gardens, whose patron was the late Queen Mother.

The centre, which opened in 1913 as a “school for poor mothers”, provides health, welfare education and advice.

Councillor Greening, who gave out the awards with Manor Gardens chief executive Phillip Watson, told volunteers: “You support some of the most vulnerable people in our borough and without the tremendous contribution by people giving their time and skills then Manor Gardens would simply not make the contribution it does.”

He added cuttingly: “It’s going to be even more important as our budgets are cut by this ‘wonderful’ govern­ment.”