Above: 2016 Award Winners - Top Left to Bottom Right: Young Role Model; Young Apprentice; Taking Charge of Your Life; Special Recognition; Project/Campaign of the Year
Youth Ambition Awards
The Youth Ambition Awards aim to reward the achievements of special young people and showcase the great things they do in their local community.
What are the Youth Ambition Awards?
Northamptonshire County Council launched these awards in 2012 to encourage ambition in children and young people in Northamptonshire. Every child has the potential to achieve and these awards complement the education awards by celebrating all the other great things they do - whether at school or at home, in their personal life or in their local community. Previous winners have been truly inspiring. We have met young people who have shown bravery, compassion, generosity and determination to succeed, sometimes against almost impossible odds. The Youth Ambition Awards are held jointly with Northamptonshire Newspapers' education awards. The 2017 award winners will be announced at a special ceremony at Wicksteed Park pavilion on Wednesday 28 June.
Award Categories
Arts Award - available to sponsor
Anything inspired by the arts is included in this category which recognises a committed young person or group of young people who have been inspired by the arts, or used their creativity to make a difference.
2016 Youth Ambition Award Winners - Why they won
Northampton School for Boys - These eight students, all aged 17, wrote and performed a special play called Walk A Mile in My Shoes to raise awareness about bullying. The play was performed to all year groups at Northampton School for Boys and at the Northamptonshire charity Lowdown’s anti-bullying conference. Lowdown is now seeking funding to film the play so it can be used as a resource for schools. Assistant headteacher Lindsay Greenaway said: “I nominated these students for their constant and continued use of drama, using their own time and talent to convey much needed messages to make a difference.”
Get Active Award - available to sponsor
This is a new award for 2017 which recognises a dedicated young person or group of young people who have been inspired to get active to make a difference for themselves or others. This is about being active rather than excelling in a formal sport.
Health and Wellbeing Award - available to sponsor
This is a new award for 2017 which recognises a young person who champions good health and happiness, not just for themselves but for others too. They strive to increase the health and wellbeing of those around them. This is health and wellbeing in its broadest sense - from physical and emotional health, social interactions to relationships and home life.
Project or Campaign of the Year Award - sponsored by CDS
It could be large or small, but it will have started out with clear objectives and project team will be able to show how those objectives have been met. They will also have used creative ways and communications channels to tackle any issues.
2016 Youth Ambition Award Winners - Why they won
Northamptonshire Mental Health Stigma Programme Participation Group. This group, made up of 11 to 18-year-olds from across the county, has introduced a new education pack for schools and designed and created a website – www.talkoutloud.info – as part of their work to tackle the stigma around mental health. Katharine Alsop, who nominated the group, said: “These are a really dedicated and committed bunch of young people, who have chosen to get involved to talk about a subject that attracts a lot of stigma. The great thing to see is that they are all making a huge difference, not only to their schools and communities but also to their own personal development.”
Taking Charge of your Life Award - sponsored by Prospects
This celebrates a young person who has taken control of his or her life. They may have refused to let adversity define who they are. They might have overcome obstacles or barriers. They may have made some brave choices in their life.
2016 Youth Ambition Award Winners - Why they won
Pascale Cordell - Sixteen-year-old Pascale has proved to be an exceptional student, passing all her GCSEs with A* to C grades and starting her AS levels despite recently being taken into care. She has just been accepted for a prestigious law internship this summer and will also be taking part in a volunteer scheme in Sri Lanka working with people with mental health issues. Social worker Nicola Thrower said: “Pascale is an inspiration for other young people as despite the adversities she has experienced, she maintains her determination and motivation for success. She has her goals and ambitions and she is reaching for these and doing all she can to ensure that she gets there.”
Young Apprentice of the Year Award - sponsored by Guidant
For a young person who has excelled in their apprentice role. They have built up knowledge and skills and used these to progress ant to shine in the workplace.
2016 Youth Ambition Award Winners - Why they won
Leah Thompson - Leah, 20, completed an 18-month apprenticeship with public sector shared services organisation LGSS and is now a digital information officer, working on Northamptonshire County Council’s website. Her manager Richard Beards said: “The commitment, professionalism and maturity Leah shows about creating a career for herself are what really stand her apart. She is having a real impact on the success of the team.”
Young role model of the year - sponsored by Centurion Training Solutions
This could be someone who has overcome a personal barrier, enhanced their local community, performed an act of bravery, excelled in a volunteering role or pushed the boundaries in some way. Whatever they have done, large or small, it will have made a difference and inspired others.
2016 Youth Ambition Award Winners - Why they won
Joe Plumb - Eighteen-year-old Joe grew up in care and despite having a number of complex health issues, he has taken on the role of chairman of the Children in Care Council for Northamptonshire. He recently gave a presentation to social workers and other professionals about the health and wellbeing needs of looked after children, and has also launched his own anti-bullying charity. Louise Crookenden-Johnson, who works in children’s social care and was one of two people to nominate Joe for the award, said: “Joe has offered invaluable support to Northamptonshire County Council in the drive to improve children’s services, making a real practical and emotional impact at recent staff and partner events.”
Special Recognition Award - available to sponsor
This award is selected from the finalists in each of the seven categories and recognises an exceptionally outstanding and inspirational young person.
Our sponsors
We’d like to say a massive thank you to all our sponsors for helping us make the 2017 Youth Ambition Awards happen. We’re really proud to be working in partnership with them on this fantastic project to highlight the outstanding young people in our county. If you’d like to get involved and sponsor an award please email: [email protected]
Find out why these organisations are sponsoring this year’s Youth Ambition Awards below:
CDS are kindly sponsoring the Project or Campaign of the Year Award. CDS is a large multi-award winning communications agency. Their print division provides print management and creative services to clients including, Northamptonshire County Council, Birmingham City Council, Essex County Council and 11 other Local Authorities, as well as numerous Higher Education organisations including Middlesex University, Queen’s University Belfast and the Open University.
Centurion Training Solutions Ltd are kindly sponsoring Young Role Model of the Year. Centurion Training Solutions is a dedicated automotive vocational training company based in Northampton delivering, IMI, City & Guilds and AQA courses at entry level, Level 1 and Level 2. Established in 2003 Centurion has developed a portfolio of courses designed to enhance the educational experience of students by offering automotive vocational based training. We offer training to both mainstream school pupils and to students with special educational needs, physical, emotional or behavioural issues. We have a wide range of courses designed to meet a variety of needs and abilities.
Guidant Group are kindly sponsoring the Young Apprentice of the Year. Guidant Group has partnered with Northamptonshire County Council in the provision of temporary workers since 2011. As pioneers in managed services and outsourced recruitment, we have extensive experience of working with a wide variety of leading organisations in the public and private sectors to deliver the precise talent they need.
.Prospects are kindly sponsoring Taking of Your Life Award. The Prospects Group provides tailored education, employment, training and care products and services for people at all stages of life. Each year Prospects inspires more than 500,000 people to develop their potential and transform their lives. More than 1,400 professional and skilled colleagues provide practical support to the local communities they are based in across the UK and internationally. Prospects is one of the largest employee owned companies in the UK. It is also a Leader in Diversity and ranked in the top 100 index by the National Centre for Diversity.