Eight groups of young people from across the UK were today presented with the prestigious Philip Lawrence Award for their outstanding achievements in their community. Sir Trevor McDonald presented the awards in a ceremony at the Bloomsbury Theatre, University College London, alongside the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Dr John Reid MP.
The national awards were established ten years ago in memory of the head teacher Philip Lawrence, who was killed eleven years ago outside his school in Maida Vale, North London. Run by charity 4Children and funded by the Home Office, the awards celebrate outstanding citizenship by groups of young people aged 11 to 20 through projects that help promote community safety and counter crime, violence and racism.
The Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Dr John Reid MP, said: “Yet again the Awards have discovered young heroes across the country. These young people are making lives better for their peers and for the wider community, through their active and responsible citizenship. Sometimes we can be slow to acknowledge the positive contribution that younger people make to our communities. These Awards show us all how we can work together with friends and neighbours to make a positive difference.”
Frances Lawrence, founder of the Philip Lawrence Awards said: “The Philip Lawrence Awards work from the premise that there is no them and us. It is not a scheme for young people; it is run by them. Past winners have become judges and mentors, helping other groups of young people to set up similar schemes in their communities. All Award winners actively challenge racism, ignorance, fear and boredom - those elements which demean and shatter the spirit of communities. The Philip Lawrence Awards’ aim is to celebrate and help young people to build something meaningful, something extraordinary.”
Sir Trevor McDonald, chair of the Philip Lawrence Awards judging panel said: “It is an immensely rewarding and a deeply humbling experience to read this year’s nominations. Young people working to fight racism and other forms of social exclusion, to fight truancy, and crime, to help clean up their immediate surroundings, to set up clubs and after school facilities and to encourage their peers and their elders to aspire to more challenging and fulfilling lives. In so many instances these brave, selfless young people come up with their own ideas about how all that can be done with minimum assistance from local voluntary organisations or local councils. I congratulate them all.”
The winning groups this year bring together young people from a diverse range of backgrounds and tackle a range of important issues including: challenging public perceptions of disability, promoting racial harmony, combating truancy, raising awareness of teenage drinking and combating teenage pregnancy.
PHILIP LAWRENCE AWARDS 2006 WINNERS:
Soul and Fame
16 young people with learning disabilities in Yorkshire who represent their peers and challenge perceptions through creative activities, consultations, working with the local youth parliament, and disability awareness and participation training.
Venue
A youth initiated, youth run group of young people aged 14–17 in North Wales that supports the needs of young people in their community, those from other churches, youth from Bulgaria, and young offenders.
Let’s Be Positive
30 young people with Caribbean, African, Kurdish and British ethnic heritage based in London. They are a youth run group who use music and other creative arts as a means of empowering young people in the local area, bringing them together and promoting positive messages.
Nang! magazine
Young people chosen each year from a Tower Hamlets Summer University journalism course, plus a core team, who write, produce and distribute a quarterly magazine on issues that affect young people. There are eight young people who work on the magazine every week throughout the year with up to 14 in the summer holidays, aged 14+
It Happens
A young parents’ group (mainly single parents) in West Sussex providing advice and education to other young people about the realities of becoming a young parent, through a magazine and presentations in schools, colleges and youth clubs.
Gateshead Young Women’s Outreach Project: Drink Safe – Campaign for Young People
19 young mothers in Gateshead Tyne & Wear who aim to raise awareness among young people about safe drinking. They have designed, produced and distributed a poster about drink spiking and launched the ‘Am I bovvered’ cool guide to drinking alcohol safely.
Truancy Awareness Project
Seven Year-11 students from a High School in Luton who raise awareness of the consequences of truancy and non-school attendance, by engaging with children and young people using drama productions.
Aldbourne Youth Council & BMX Track
A youth council, set up by young people in Wiltshire after local youth facilities were shut down, to lobby the local council to improve facilities for young people. So far they have been able to replace the BMX track and gained a youth shelter that over 200 young people can benefit from.
Find out more about the Winning Projects at www.philiplawrenceawards.org.uk
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