Inspired by the rich sense of community spirit in Newcastle, multi-academy trust Northern Leaders Trust is gearing up to host its second annual Community Champion Awards, which aims to shine a spotlight on young individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, leadership and compassion in serving the Newcastle community.
The 2024 Community Champion Awards has received generous backing from local companies and organisations such as Greggs, Newcastle Eagles, Veterans Launchpad, Vertu Motors, Muckle LLP, Schools North East, building and property maintenance company WDL, the Association of Education Advisers and other prominent local companies.
The Evening Chronicle has partnered with the Community Champion Awards’ team to ensure optimum coverage for the event. A spokesperson from The Chronicle said: “It is with great pride and honour that we support the Community Champion Awards 2024. This evening of celebration recognises the extraordinary contributions that Newcastle’s young people make to the community, inspiring us all to give back.”
Lee Kirtley, CEO of Northern Leaders Trust, initiated the awards to showcase the remarkable achievements of Newcastle’s youth. He emphasised: “As a society, we’re often all too quick to focus on the negative actions of young individuals in our communities. As a result of this, many outstanding accomplishments remain overlooked. I established the Community Champion Awards to shine a light on the exceptional contributions that young people are making to the Newcastle Community, with the hope of inspiring others to do the same.”
Following the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural awards, the Community Champion Awards ceremony will take place on Friday 28th of June at Kenton School with very special guests, entertainment and refreshments.
Last year celebrated the achievements of several exceptional young people. Paul White, a Cadet and trained first aider, helped save the life of an unconscious man by administering CPR and staying with him until an ambulance crew attended the scene.
Olivia Cameron won the Young Carer award for showing exceptional dedication and commitment as a carer for a family member whilst she completed her GCSEs and A-Levels.
The Special Recognition Award winner, Bailey Shore, helped to save the life of a man that suffered a heart attack on the bus. Bailey alerted the bus driver and assisted a doctor in giving the man CPR after learning first aid at school.
Charlotte Bradley, a pageant queen who represents Newcastle upon Tyne, raised over £7,000 for local charities that are close to her heart such as Amber’s Law, A-Sisterhood and The Sick Children’s Trust.
Chris Zarraga, Director at Schools North East – the only schoolled regional network in the UK – highlights the importance of the awards: “This awards ceremony is a fantastic idea and we look forward to acknowledging all the bright young sparks who have made fantastic contributions to our region.”
This year, there are eight award categories, which aim to celebrate a variety of community achievements:
Community Hero Award (sponsored by Newcastle Eagles)
Young Fundraiser of the Year Award (sponsored by Muckle LLP)
Young Volunteer of the Year
Eco Ambassador Award (sponsored by Summers Dodge International)
Act of Kindness Award (sponsored by Greggs)
Young Carer Award (sponsored by WDL)
Courage Award (sponsored by the Association of Education Advisers)
Special Recognition Award (sponsored by Vertu Motors)
Thanks to the generous support from sponsors, award winners can anticipate receiving £150 in retail gift vouchers on the night, along with an additional £50 in book tokens from Northern Leaders Trust.
Northern Insight’s Managing Director, Michael Grahamslaw, will be presenting an award on the night. Nominations for the awards are currently open! They close at the end of May – so don’t miss out on the opportunity to make a remarkable young person you know a Community Champion.
Anyone can make nominations, providing the nominee is under 18 years of age and attends a primary, secondary school or college in Newcastle – whether that is a local authority-maintained school, an independent school, a faith school, an academy or a school for children with special needs.
Enthusiastic about the upcoming celebration of young people’s accomplishments, Lee Kirtley, adds: “I am deeply moved by the remarkable contributions of Newcastle’s young people. Here at Northern Leaders Trust, we felt compelled to create a platform that acknowledges the kindness and generosity in our community, and we’re proud that the Community Champion Awards can play a key role for a second year.”
Nominate a remarkable young person you know today! Scan the QR code to access the nomination form or visit northernleaderstrust. org/community-champions and share their inspiring story.
northernleaderstrust.org