The first ever Medway Youth Awards have taken place, recognising and celebrating the remarkable people who are living, working or attending school in Medway and are helping the community thrive.
Medway Youth Council, in partnership with Medway Council, announced the winners of the Medway Youth Awards on Tuesday, 10 July, at Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham.
The awards were co-presented by Medway Council’s Youth Services and showcased young people’s achievements and their contribution to the community. They also celebrated and recognised adults who are helping to inspire young people.
Lydia Phillips won the young person’s Chatham Maritime Trust Award for Young People and Adults Involved in Community Action and the adult’s award was presented to Monika Oravcova.
The young person’s Nucleus Arts Creative Arts Award was given to Ophelia Green and Mona Whitton was named the adult winner.
Abbey Burmingham and Grace Bassom won the young person’s McDonald’s Courage and Inspiration Award and Joe Wastell was named the adult winner.
The young person’s Questor Insurance Learning and Achieving Award was won by Jack Abbott and the adult’s award went to Rob Leadbetter.
Madi Rowlands won the young person’s Gillingham Football Club Sporting and Physical Achievement Award and the adult winner was Laura Bowles.
The Kent Police and Crime Commissions Award for Young Volunteers was awarded to James Okulaja and Paul Clack won The Glensk Youth Worker of the Year Award.
George Perfect, Chair of Medway Youth Council, said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to host the first Medway Youth Awards. The awards have proven exactly why Medway is the place to live, work, learn, visit and invest – highlighting the great future that Medway has ahead of it. The evening was a massive success and allowed both young people and adults to be recognised for their amazing achievements. The amazing quality of the nominations is something that we should all be proud of, and I’d like to personally congratulate all the winners.”
Cllr Andrew Mackness, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, said: “It was an honour to help celebrate remarkable people who are living, working or attending school in Medway together with their older peers. I would like to congratulate all of the winners, as well as everyone who was nominated for an award. I am so proud that we have such an outstanding group of young people here in Medway, many of whom have overcome significant challenges and are making a real difference in our local community. As Medway celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and looks forward to the next 20 years, with young people such as those we are celebrating here tonight we have every reason to be confident for its future.”
The Medway Youth Awards are supported by Gillingham Football Club, the Chatham Maritime Trust, the Gallagher Group, Glenesk Group, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, kmfm, McDonald’s branches in Chatham High Street and Medway Valley Leisure Park, Medway Commercial Group, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Nucleus Arts, The Rotary Clubs of Medway, The Soroptimists, Questor Insurance, Southeastern, UCA and The Young Lives Foundation.