Time to nominate your young heroes in Northamptonshire

The winners of the Youth Ambition Awards 2016.

The awards are organised by Northamptonshire County Council to showcase some of the incredible achievements of young people across Northamptonshire.

Last year’s winners included a young woman who overcame depression and anxiety to become a spokesperson for the Prince’s Trust and a youth group who created a pack for schools to tackle the stigma around mental health.

Katharine Alsop, who nominated the group, said: “We were really excited to have been recognised for our work to raise awareness of mental health and the stigma that people with mental health needs face.

“Winning the award made us so proud, especially when we heard all about the other finalists in our category. It has made all of our hard work worth it and we hope that it helps to raise the profile of our campaign even further.”

This year the awards feature eight categories to celebrate even more of the amazing young people in Northamptonshire.

The categories are:

-Young Apprentice of the Year

-The Arts Award

-Young Role Model of the Year

-Project or Campaign of the Year

-The Taking Charge of Your Life Award

-The Health and Wellbeing Award

-The Get Active Award

-Special Recognition Award

Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member for children’s services Councillor Matthew Golby, said: “The YouthAmbition Awards are a fantastic opportunity to shine the spotlight on young people in Northamptonshire and celebrate some of the amazing things they do.

“I’m always truly humbled to hear about the good work being done by this county’s children and young people and, with extra categories added this year, I’m very much looking forward to hearing more of their stories of success.”

The awards, run in partnership with Northamptonshire Newspapers, are open to young people aged 11 to 22, and winners will be announced at a special ceremony on Wednesday, June 28 at Wicksteed Park Pavilion.

The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, May 31. Full details about the award categories and how to nominate can be found at www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/youthambition.