These celebrate all that is great about the young people and youth sector in the region.
NE Youth are 90 years old next year and to celebrate the run up to the anniversary they are hosting a number of important celebrations. Their newly named ‘Impact Awards’ (formerly known as Projects with Pride) are a way of shining the light on the incredible achievements of young people, youth workers, volunteers and projects making a significant impact in their communities.
The Impact Awards took place at the start of November at the Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park. With 370 people attending, 70% of which were young people from around the region- the atmosphere was electric. For so many of the young people this is THE event of the year where they can dress up, enjoy the glam of the red carpet, sip on a mocktails whilst celebrating the amazing projects they’re part of. For many, this is the first time at a formal celebration event.
Jon Niblo – CEO at NE Youth commented: “At NE Youth, we deeply value the contributions that young people make within their youth groups and the wider community. Our annual awards night serves as a vital platform to acknowledge the achievements of young people and those who support them. This would not be possible without the loyal backing of our award category sponsors, and we are especially grateful to our headline sponsor, the University of Sunderland, for their generous support. As we approach our 90th anniversary in 2025, we are incredibly proud to celebrate all that is great about the youth sector and the remarkable impact it has on young lives.”
With the new name for the event came three new categories- Mentor of the Year, Member of the Year and the Going Green Award. This year there were a record breaking 118 nominations from all across the region stretching from Alnwick to Sunderland.
The Impact Awards were a lively and engaging evening, showcasing a diverse range of talents! The combination of young presenters from The Activity Den and performances from NE Youth member organisations such as Horizon Cheerleading, Dylan Pederson, Care To Dance, and ALF Hill created an exciting atmosphere.
Sarah Beck, Academic Director of Apprenticeships, University of Sunderland, Main Sponsor of the Impact Awards commented: ‘We are absolutely delighted to be supporting the NE Youth Impact Awards. The University of Sunderland has a long history of providing education and training for community and youth workers in partnership with regional organisations in the sector, and last year we introduced an exciting new degree apprenticeship programme, enabling us to work even more closely together. We are fortunate to have received some additional funding from the Office for Students to help us to further develop the community and youth work apprenticeship, and this has enabled us to contribute towards sponsoring this year’s awards. At a time when high quality youth work is needed more than ever, it is a great pleasure to be involved with this event and to hear about all the fantastic work going on across the region.’
The Impact Awards truly zoom in on the incredible potential of young people in the North East. NE Youth’s commitment to recognising and nurturing this potential remains, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.
www.neyouth.org.uk