04 Jul Meet The Winners Of 2019’s Tendring Youth Awards
Outstanding young people who demonstrate determination, enthusiasm and hard work have been celebrated at the 2019 Tendring Youth Awards.
The winners were unveiled at a glitzy presentation evening in Clacton’s Princes Theatre last night (July 2), though the judges praised all those who were nominated and finalists.
Now in their fourth year, the awards celebrate achievements by young people across a range of categories – along with a category for adults who support young people in Tendring.
THE WINNERS
Volunteer (Young Person aged 11-21) – Sponsored by TLG.
Connor Sharod: Connor is Dovercourt Fire Cadets’ longest serving cadet. He is incredibly committed and rarely misses a meeting, and is always the first to volunteer for any event. Connor has recently completed his gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, the first person at Dovercourt to achieve this.
Arts (Young Person aged 11-21) – Sponsored by the Princes Theatre.
Daniel Barnard: Daniel is a dedicated performer and talented young director, who has given his time to several incredibly successful performances and is dedicated to his craft. Daniel’s dream is to become a professional director and he is well on his way to achieving his goal.
Community Improvement (Young Person aged 8-21) – Sponsored by Harwich Haven Authority.
Lads Need Dads: The Lads Need Dads team give up their free time and weekends to complete
community projects to support people in their local area. This is everything from gardening to general DIY and maintenance jobs. The young men are learning skills whilst improving their local surrounding as well.
Young Carer (Young Person aged 8-18) – Sponsored by Newsquest Essex.
Elisha Corder: Elisha, 12, supports her step-mother who struggles with mental health issues, her older sister who has a learning difficulty and complex heart condition, and still finds time to cook for her dad – never complaining about her responsibilities and doing it all with a smile.
Learning Achievement (Young Person aged 11-21) – Sponsored by Tendring District Council.
Abigail Hartman: Abigail does not let her complex speech, language and communication difficulties hold her back. She has worked hard in all her subjects and has chosen to complete GCSEs in Spanish and Drama even though she knows these will be particularly difficult for her. Abigail has shown how anyone can achieve their goals if they are determined and hardworking.
Outstanding Achievement (Young Person aged 11-21) – Sponsored by Essex County Council.
Sonny’s Army: Sonny’s Army was created to help parents of children who face long hospital stays, providing financial support as well as boxes of goodies to make hospital more bearable. The young girls spend all their free time fundraising and promoting their project and have become a legally recognised charity.
Personal Journey (Young Person aged 8-21) – Sponsored by Nova Training.
Under-13’s: Joshua Burgess: Joshua has been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition which will cause him to progressively lose his sight, hearing and cause lung disease. Joshua has not let this hold him back and he has performed with Alfie Boe at the Royal Albert Hall, starred in a BBC drama series and still volunteers in the autism hub.
Over-13’s: Sophie-Ann Greenwood: Sophie has been in care for a number of years and has faced a lot of personal difficulties as well as domestic issues, but has not let this hold her back. Sophie has achieved GCSEs whilst maintaining a Facebook group for survivors of mental health, using her own experiences to inspire and guide young people in similar situations.
The Environmental Initiative Award (Young Person/group aged 8-21) – Sponsored by Galloper Wind Farm Ltd.
Teen Talk: Over the past four years Teen Talk Wildlife Group has had more than 90 young people involved in a variety of projects to help support local wildlife to thrive. The group has created habitats, completed surveys and even conducted its own research into the wildlife in the local area.
Unsung Hero (Adult) – Sponsored by Harwich Haven Authority.
Sue Crotty: Sue has committed 26 years of her life to Clacton County High School and is now seen as part of the fabric of the building. Sue is passionate, hardworking and always has a smile on her face. Staff have described Sue as dynamic, dependable, organised and so much more, an integral part of her school.
Committee’s Award
Cast & crew of Les Miserables (Clacton County High School): The cast of Les Mis put on an incredibly memorable, professional and polished performance. Audience members were awestruck by the talent on display. The team worked tirelessly to create effective staging and costumes alongside a gruelling rehearsal schedule.
