Valuing Young People
Is there a volunteer between the ages of 11 and 18 years who you think deserves to be recognised for what they do to help other people on a voluntary basis. Yes? Please fill in this form and return by 8th September 2012 to nominate someone for a Forest Youth Award.
ORGANISERS of the Forest Youth Awards are aiming to attract a record 60 nominations this year to match the reign of Queen Elizabeth. And to underline their Diamond Jubilee Year ambitions, they launched the 2012 awards around the Queen’s oak tree at Speech House.
The awards, which began six years ago, honour youngsters who have gone the extra mile for their communities. Last year saw a bumper 40 young people being honoured, with eight singled out for gold, silver and bronze awards.
This year’s sponsors include Vantage Point Business Village, Gloucestershire College, Two Rivers, SPP Pumps, the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, Forest Youth Forum, Forest Youth Workers’ Network, the Forest of Dean District Council and The Forester.
To qualify for the awards all nominees must have taken part in volunteering that benefits the community of the Forest of Dean between August 2011 and August 2012. Judges will want to know how much impact their work had and if they have had to overcome any barriers to achieve this.
We are delighted that you have chosen to recognise a young person's contribution by submitting a Forest Youth Awards nomination in this Jubilee Year – we are hoping to receive 60 nominations this year. All nominees must have taken part in volunteering that benefits the community of the Forest of Dean between October 2011 and September 2012. We would like you to use this form to describe the work that the young person has achieved and please make sure that they happy to be nominated.
Award Criteria
The nominations will be assessed by a panel that includes young people. Awards will be made at different levels according to: how much volunteering has been undertaken, the impact of this volunteering for the local community and whether the young person has had to overcome any barriers to be able to volunteer. All nominations will be assessed against the combination of these criteria and the young person will have the opportunity to tell us more about their volunteering in their own words.
Volunteering might include: helping to run activities at youth clubs and groups; being on a Youth Forum or Youth Parish Council; helping to run an event; fundraising for children and young people’s equipment or activities; dog walking, shopping or gardening for an older person; befriending or supporting another young person who needs additional help; getting involved in local projects that make a difference to the community. There will be lots of other things too, where a young person gives up their own time to help others.
For a few of the young people, whom the panel feel have made a significant difference to their community and the lives of others or who have achieved significant personal development through their volunteering, there will be awards of Bronze, Silver or Gold. All nominated young people will be invited to attend an award ceremony on Friday 19th October at the Forest Theatre, Five Acres, and receive a certificate in recognition of their hard work.
Please ask the young person concerned to agree that they are willing to be nominated and take part in publicity that will include photographs and video.
