'Youth Matters' Achievement Award 2006
Recognising South Tyneside's young for their achievements and positive actions.
Some of South Tyneside’s young people have received recognition for their achievements and positive actions gained in 2006.
On 7 November 2006 almost 200 young people from across the borough, who have gone out of their way to help others or overcome great disadvantage to succeed in life, or improving their own personal achievements were in the spotlight at the ‘Youth Matters’ Achievement Awards.
It is the second year that the council’s Youth Service has organised the award ceremony. This year it was sponsored by and held in the Prestige Hotel, South Shields.
There were 300 people in attendance, and nominations came in from youth related organisations, agencies and projects from across South Tyneside.
The evening was hosted by Youth Support Services Officer Neil McCaffery, who introduced a number of special guests to read out the 48 nominations received and to award the young people with certificates. Approximately 190 young people received a certificate for their positive actions and achievements gained in 2006 at the event.
Special guests were:
- Councillor Jim Foreman, Lead Member Children and Young People
- Executive Director Kim Bromley-Derry, Children and Young People
- Christine Smith, Head of Transition and Wellbeing, Children and Young People
- Vince High, Youth Support Services Manager, Children and Young People
- Steve Southern, Youth Work Officer, Children and Young People
- Melanie Soutar, Operations Manager Matrix Service, Drug Action Team, Neighbourhood Services Directorate
- Phil Bennett, Youth Offending Service Manager, Children and Young People
- Richard Barber, Culture Development Officer, Neighbourhood Services Directorate
Representatives from the Prestige Hotel included Managing Director Raj Singh and Conference and Catering Manager Kerry Howard.
Councillor Foreman said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for all the unsung heroes in our younger population to have their efforts recognised by their friends and families.
"All of the stories behind these nominations are truly inspiring and just reinforce my conviction that we have some fantastic young people here in South Tyneside – keen to help others and the wider community, and play their part in creating the kind of borough that we are proud to call home, as well as climbing some personal mountains to reach where they are today."
Entertainment on the evening was provided by some of the nominees. Taryn Wastell and Hannah Topping from The CAVE performed three songs and the Bold As Brass Young People’s Theatre Company performed a short drama on the Jarrow March.
The event was supported by The CAVE Youth Initiative Centre, whose staff Michael and David Selby, Robert Boys, Mac Walters and John Clavering set up and operated the technical equipment.
The young people who performed and the young people who supported the technical duties on the evening were given a small gift as a way of thanks by Kerry Howard of the Prestige Hotel.
It is hoped that the ‘Youth Matters’ Achievement Awards will become an annual event in the Youth Service’s and the Prestige Hotel’s calendars.
The Youth Service is proud to organise and host this event and we thank all the nominators who took the time to nominate Young People for an award to recognise their positive actions and achievements gained in 2006.
