03 September 2010Young Volunteer of the Year honoured at Award Ceremony
There are young people all over the UK giving up their time to help others and many do this work without recognition or celebration.
Young people in the Sevenoaks District are no different - there are many young people involved in projects, helping at clubs for older people or children, disabled people and environmental projects. They help raise money for charity, support lonely people to do their shopping and help clear up overgrown areas and improve the community they live in.
This is the fourth year Young Volunteer of the Year awards have been run and we received a great variety of nominations for young people who have been volunteering their spare time for the good of others. Nominations came from all over the District, including Hextable, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks, Edenbridge and Shoreham.
Judges assessing the nominations were looking for young people that showed:
It was fantastic to read about all the good deeds done by local young people. All of the young people who were nominated were recognised at the awards ceremony with a certificate celebrating their achievements.
Nominated:
We had two Runners-Up prizes to award on the night:
Joshua Abrahams
The first Runners Up prize was awarded to a young man described as a life saver by the person who nominated him. From starting a volunteering placement to go towards his Duke of Edinburgh award in October, this volunteer has continued to give up his Saturday mornings to help out at the Pop In at the pavilion in West Kingsdown.
Without the support of a volunteering organisation, he has continued to turn up every week, serving drinks and snacks, talking to often elderly customers and cleaning up afterwards. In January, the co-ordinator suffered an injury and this young man stepped in and has continued to run the Pop In by himself, saving the Co-ordinator from having to arrange other cover and ensuring that local people have somewhere to meet up and socialise in the village. Described as always polite, well turned out and ever cheerful, the judges agreed that the benefit to the local community in the village is an important factor.
Joshua was awarded a prize of £50 in high street shopping vouchers and the organisation who nominated him, St Edmund's Church in West Kingsdown, has received a cheque for £100 to help them to support young volunteers in the future.
Helena Silver
The second Runners Up prize was awarded to a young person who has been volunteering for four years and during that time has matured into a confident leader and role model for her peers and children she works with. Helena volunteers with VSU Youth in Action at projects for older people and with children.
A member of the Youth Committee at VSU, she is also involved in fundraising events and planning future activities. VSU have said she is an excellent mentor and has helped the children to develop better than they could have done and that is a fantastic accolade.
Helena was awarded a prize of £50 in high street shopping vouchers and the organisation who nominated her, VSU Youth in Action, received a cheque for £100 to help them to support young volunteers in the future.
Winner - David MacQuarrie
David is a Cadet Sergeant with the Air Training Corp 2158 Squadron in Sevenoaks. Described as a strong, determined, confident young person, he has shown he is committed by always being the first to volunteer for fundraising or ceremonial duties and attending every possible activity for the Cadets and has used his skills to lead others and inspire younger members.
David has been a cadet for 2 and a half years and during this time has grown as an individual, using his experience to lead and inspire the cadets in the Squadron and using his imagination and creativity to help younger cadets develop their skills by teaching them in a fun and exciting way.
David MacQuarrie has made a great impact on the Sevenoaks Squadron and has helped it to grow in strength and numbers during the time he has been a member. The squadron have said that his ability to balance his schoolwork, volunteering and a part time job is impressive and his contribution to the organisation is invaluable as a young leader.
David was awarded the title of Young Volunteer of the Year 2010 and a prize of £100 in high street shopping vouchers. A cheque for £200 was also awarded to the 2158 Squadron to help them to continue to support local young volunteers.
David said he was "really pleased" with his award and that it is "A reward for all the hard work I have done"
Well done David!
For more information, please follow this link to contact the Youth Development Section
