Time To Nominate Your Young Person Of The Year
24 May 2012
The search is on to reveal, recognise and reward
Cambridgeshire’s young heroes of 2012.
Young People of the Year (YOPEY) is a
campaign that aims to give young people a fairer image in the media
– and society as a whole – by revealing, recognising and rewarding
young unsung heroes and setting them up as positive role models for
other young people to copy.
In September 2011, 18-year-old John Morris of St Ives - who had
overcome a troubled family life to lead Scouts - beat nine other
finalists to be crowned the county’s 2011 Young Person of the
Year.
Among finalists from the Peterborough area were: Niamh Kingsley,
who was nominated for her youth work; Ella Szklaruk, from
Whittlesey, who volunteered in Peterborough Prison and Chloe
Hebden, from Folksworth, who set up a dance school.
Young people aged 10 to 25, who are positive role models and
give to others, can enter or be nominated by anyone who knows them.
The winner will receive £800 and half of it will be used in the
community for their good cause.
Second place will win £400, which will be similarly shared.
There will be other prizes from a fund of £2,000 donated by
sponsors, including the police and Peterborough City Council.
Chief Constable Simon Parr said: “YOPEY is an important way of
recognising the extraordinary efforts of remarkable young people
within our community. All the nominees are role models and show
what can be done with the right determination to succeed.”
YOPEY founder Tony Gearing, a former national newspaper
journalist who became fed up with the bad press inflicted on young
people, said: “To win a YOPEY you do not have to be the best at
something. It is about being community-spirited and doing something
for others. You can pass on skills, fundraise for a good cause,
care for a relative or mentor someone at school. If you ‘give to
others’ we want to hear about you.”
The awards ceremony will be held at Ely Cathedral on Wednesday 3
October 2012.
Nominations can be made by visiting www.yopey.org or write to YOPEY, PO Box
236, Newmarket CB8 1DP for paper entry form.
Ends.