MAIN PHOTO: Young people from groups Living the Dream and #NoGermsonMe Left to right: Sarah Ward, Ellie Riseley, Somer-Rae Stanworth, Poppy Redfern and Bree Wilkinson
Young people from Ferryhill and Newton Aycliffe have been recognised for inspirational projects that have helped them develop confidence and skills while benefitting the community.
Projects delivered by Ferryhill-based #NoGermsOnMe, Forestry School and Living the Dream were nominated for multiple categories on the night.
The awards, run by North East charity The Key, recognise the creativity, imagination, determination and hard work of more than 160 young people, volunteers and youth workers across 12 different categories.
#NoGermsOnMe picked up the community champion award, Forestry School scooped the super evaluators award, Living the Dream were crowned panel innovators and Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College (FBEC) teacher, Laura Langdale, won the Key Facilitator of the year award for her work of supporting the young people.
Somer- Rae Stanworth from #NoGermsOnMe said: “We started our project as we felt it was something we lacked growing up, so to be nominated for an award was incredible and made us realise that other people had noticed our hard work. To win when there was so many good projects in our category was unreal. We are still buzzing about it.”
Each group has completed a project using The Key Framework which enables young people to think, plan, do and review their own ideas in order to build their confidence, self-esteem, resilience and social skills.
#NoGermsOnMe, which operates out of FBEC, created a project which galvanised the local business community to join them in their fight against period poverty by donating sanitary items to young women in need in South Durham. Meanwhile Forestry School supported local primary school, Chilton Academy , to take learning outdoors by tidying up their outdoor Forest Area.
Living the Dream inspired year 7 students from FBEC by running their own series of literacy workshops with hopes of encouraging young people to step away from technology and get reading.
Ushaw Moor’s, Ladies that love, and Belmont’s, Lads Together, were also nominated for community champion.
All projects benefitted others and this community spirit shone bright in their nominations at the ceremony.
Austin McNamara, The Key’s interim chief executive, said: “It’s wonderful to celebrate all of the incredible things our regions’ young people have achieved through The Key Framework. We’re privileged to be able to see their contribution first hand and to have the opportunity to publicly recognise the phenomenal job done by our dedicated and passionate Key Facilitators”
The Key operates in all areas of the North East, with the aim of wanting to create a world where young people believe in their own ideas and can take responsibility for living them.
In the last five years, over 13,000 young people aged 11-25 in our area have participated in the Key Framework, and their activities have benefitted almost 140,000 people in their communities.
PHOTO: Young people from Forestry School with award presenter, Simon West. Left to right: Simon West, Zing, with Forestry School youngsters, Riley Gibbons and Connor Taylor.
