Celebrate Success East Midlands final 2009
The Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Awards
honour the achievements of disadvantaged young people supported by
The Trust who have succeeded against the odds, improved their
chances in life and had a positive impact on their local
community.
emda Young Achiever of the Year Award
Amy Smith
As a young single mum, Amy wanted nothing more than to be able
to provide for her daughter. Living in a hostel, Amy was a quiet
and shy individual. The hostel recommended that she should try the
Team programme.
Team allowed Amy to really show her true abilities. She was a
bright individual who was capable of achieving so much. Bonding
with other Team members on a residential course, Amy improved her
confidence and communication skills.
Amy successfully completed a work placement at Marks &
Spencer during Team. They were so impressed with her that Amy was
offered a permanent position.
Leaving school without any qualifications and having to bring up
a small child could have prevented Amy from achieving success. Team
gave Amy the confidence and skills to gain a job that she loves.
Amy and her daughter have now moved into their own house. Every day
Amy feels proud going to work knowing that she is providing for her
daughter.
Anand International Ltd and Hayundai
Corp. Educational Achiever Award
Kerry Adamson
Regularly in trouble and underachieving in class, Kerry was
easily distracted by her peers. She was mixing with the wrong
groups and her attendance was low. Kerry’s confidence was at rock
bottom and teachers decided that xl was the best way for Kerry to
reach her full potential.
When Kerry first joined the xl club she was very quiet. She
found it difficult to talk to people and became embarrassed
easily.
However, Kerry’s attitude soon changed and she began to attend
the xl classes regularly. Kerry still didn’t like normal lessons
but really started to enjoy xl. Her behaviour towards learning was
transformed.
Becoming more confident, Kerry put a lot of effort into her xl
portfolio. She took great pride in her work and started to join in
more. She turned into a reliable student who was a great team
member on any project.
After completing her xl Silver Award, Kerry is now on the
Connexions Juniper Training Programme, looking forward to studying
childcare at college.
The Federation of
Small Businesses Enterprise Award
Clare Pearson – The Bee Tree
Factory work, office jobs, a cleaner: Clare had tried them all.
Despite this she never found a job that satisfied her.
Life had been challenging for Clare. Her difficult home life
meant that she was unable to go to college as she had always
dreamed.
Clare decided she needed to do something to make a change from
these unfulfilling jobs. She contacted The Prince’s Trust to start
up her own company.
The Bee Tree is a boutique in Matlock which sells high fashion
items. Clare is keen to support local designers and happily sells
their stock in her shop. Her friendly attitude and professional
approach allows Clare to form great relationships with her
customers.
Business is booming for Clare, so much so that she is planning
to open another store to sell gifts and homewares. Clare could
never have dreamt that her business would become as successful as
it has. It has boosted her confidence and everyday she feels proud
and happy to go to work.
Mark Group Community
Impact Award
Forced Marriages and Honour Based Violence
A group of young people from different backgrounds had little
self-esteem and their expectations for the future were low. They
were all unemployed and decided that they should pull together to
do something positive in their community.
In Leicester the issues of forced marriages and domestic
violence are high. All the young people involved wanted to raise
awareness of these issues to educate others.
With the help of a Community Cash Award, they decided to
organise a national conference on forced marriages and honour-based
violence.
The conference was attended by many different people. It was a
great success and the group were able to inform the public of why
these issues occur and how everyone can work together to prevent
them happening.
Afterwards, the group decided to produce a DVD which is now used
to further educate the local community. They gained many new skills
during this process and were proud of the outcome. They are now all
applying to go onto further education.
Bombardier Inspiring Leaders Award
Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service
Significantly improving provision on the Team programme,
Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service is a fantastic Delivery
Partner.
For the past nine years, the Fire Service has delivered Team in
Lincolnshire. They are an enthusiastic partner working hard to
improve retention rates and outcomes for young people.
Staff at the Fire Service are dedicated with a great sense of
empathy towards Team members. They work hard to get the best out of
each individual and never give up on anyone.
As an innovative delivery partner, the Fire Service has won
funding to run additional teams and introduced initiatives such as
healthy lifestyles for young people, working closely with the RAF.
They are proactive in showcasing Team with agencies, funders and
politicians. Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service is a highly
valued partner of The Prince’s Trust.
The Pera Foundation Volunteer of the Year Award
Peter Wardman
Having experience in sales, finance and the food industry, Peter
has vast knowledge and skills to pass on to others. Since 2008,
Peter has been a valuable volunteer with The Trust, especially for
the Business Programme.
Peter sits on many of our Business Programme panels to decide
whether we can financially support young people who apply for
funding. His calm and supportive nature is an excellent quality,
helping to put nervous young people at ease during the process.
In addition to this, Peter dedicates much of his time as a
Business Mentor. He has regular meetings with his mentee in order
to give guidance on making the best decisions for their business.
Sharing his own experience and being so caring has had a positive
impact on his mentee.
Peter has the patience of a saint and is an extremely good
listener. He truly cares about the young people The Trust helps and
is an asset to the charity.
The Prince's Trust Staff Award
Gemma Aston
As Programme Executive – Business, Gemma works tirelessly to
help young people achieve success. She supports them in all stages
of the journey towards starting their own business.
Gemma is an enthusiastic employee and always goes that extra
mile. In order to keep volunteers informed of news and to make them
feel appreciated, Gemma took the initiative to create a monthly
newsletter for them. She is a highly motivated and organised
individual.
Her hands-on approach to work means that volunteers and young
people with whom Gemma works always feel valued. She demonstrates
great pride and passion for The Prince’s Trust; this really shows
in the results of her work.
Gemma is a dedicated and committed member of the team who would
do anything for anyone.