Inspirational young people across North Yorkshire have been rewarded for outstanding work in their local communities.
The Lifestyle Challenge is North Yorkshire Police’s annual competition for children aged between 10 and 16 across York and North Yorkshire, who want to do something positive for their community during the summer holidays.
The 13 winning teams were presented with their prizes at a ceremony held at York Racecourse on Thursday 13 November 2014.
PC Suzanne Asquith, a Youth Engagement Officer for North Yorkshire Police, led the initiative, she said: This is the second year we have run our Lifestyle Challenge and we have seen a massive increase in participants, which is fantastic news.
We have seen some really excellent projects and a huge amount of effort has been put in by the teams who took part. The winners should be extremely proud of themselves for their ideas and for their kindness and thoughtfulness that went into their projects.
They are an inspiration to everyone and more than deserve their prizes.
Chief Constable Dave Jones added: The awards ceremony is our opportunity to say thank you to those young people for their excellent work and for giving up their time to help their communities. They should be very proud of themselves.”
Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire said: “Now in its second year, the Lifestyle project is engaging scores of young people in activities that benefit their communities during school holidays, when reports of antisocial behaviour usually rise.It gives young people an opportunity to plan a project and see it through to fruition, which helps raise confidence, promote self-worth and acquire new skills.
I am delighted to be able to support this project through my Community Fund, which has so far awarded about £400k to 44 local groups, all of whom are helping to make their communities be and feel safer.
Lifestyle is supported by Julia Mulligan, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, The High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, East Coast Trains, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, The Vale of York NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, Hiscox, the Shepherd Group, Hambleton and Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership, Selby Community Safety Partnership, Safer York Partnership, York Racecourse, McDonalds and Minster FM.
The winners
NHS Clinical Commissioning Group for the Vale of York Be Fit, Be Healthy Award:
“The Yorkies”
Made up of Kezia Haslam and Romy Coates-Massey from York, they sought the opinions of local teenagers who attended a youth club for those with disabilities and additional needs. They then raised funds and obtained equipment by canvassing local businesses and provided the youth club with a chill-out area complete with sports equipment and log seating. The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
The Shepherd Group Conservation Award:
“Woodland Readers”
Mina Dunn, Natasha Simpkins, Sophia Minhaj, Keira Glover and Gemma Nelson are all from Scarborough and set out to improve an area of neglected woodland in Cayton Bay. With the support of staff from Park Resorts they have made a conservation area for bees, bugs, bats, owls and hedgehogs as well as creating a reading glade for other young people to come and learn about the woods. The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
The Hiscox Dream Come True Award:
“Double D”
Damien Quinton and Daniel Sephton from Scalby make up “Double D” and they decided to put their performance skills to the test by performing magic shows at local residential homes. In addition, they cleared litter from their local beach and filmed and edited their own anti-bullying DVD! The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
High Sheriff of North Yorkshire Community Arts Award:
“The Colburn Creators”
Shannon Robinson, Georgia Robinson, Charlie Piechniczek, Jasmine Foster and Rio Pullen from Colburn near Catterick, spent their summer holiday working on creating an arts exhibition on the theme of how crime affects the community. Complete with a graffiti wall, alleyway and lurking figures they did an amazing job and the exhibition was a huge success. The girls won a PGL adventure holiday.
Safer York Community Spirit Award:
“Jamie and Chantelle”
Jamie Sorrell and Chantelle Frary from York carried out a wealth of community projects over their summer holiday, including converting a pantry for a disabled neighbour so he could have a downstairs bathroom put in, clearing residents’ gardens, taking local children to the park and on a bike ride, dog walking, lending out an incubator and eggs to a childminder and giving presentations so the children could understand about chickens! The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
Hambleton and Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership Award:
“Bogus Babes”
Made up of Courtney Bushby, Leah McCabe, Toni Webster, Katie Stevens and Abigail Derwent from Stokesley, the “Bogus Babes” decided to tackle the problem of bogus callers preying on the vulnerable members of their community. They designed an eye-catching and informative poster and a check list of useful services and numbers which they delivered to shops, pubs, leisure facilities and homes all around their town. Then they held a coffee morning and raised money for an elderly persons charity. Each member of the team won a Kindle HD Fire.
North Yorkshire Police Environmental Award:
“Battle Beach”
Yasmin Tonna and Lewis Brown are both from Whitby and for their Lifestyle project they decided to clear the litter from the beaches in Whitby and Sandsend and created their own posters encouraging people to take their litter home with them and educating them on the need to keep our beaches clean. The team won Kindle HD Fires.
Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Award:
“All Star”
Charlotte Barrett, Emily Storr, Emma Cadman-Bond, Isabel Schofield and Rebecca Pratt are all from Gargrave and got involved in a variety of events over the summer to raise money to improve the equipment at their local playground. They made posters, had an arty time making their own jewellery, aprons, dolls and key rings which they then sold at a Duck Race. The held a bake sale, a bric-a-brac sale and raised a fantastic sum of money in the process! Each member of the team won a Kindle HD Fire.
North Yorkshire Police Safeguarding Young People Award:
“Safe and Sound”
From Harrogate, Jack Lowerson, Sarah Embleton, Jamie Sockett, Heather Schofield and Owen Gregory had the brilliant idea of creating a graphic novel entitled “It started with a kiss” to highlight the issue of domestic abuse within teenage relationships. They planned the storyboard, took the photos then hand coloured them in before making the final product. The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
Selby Community Safety Partnership Award:
“5ICE”
Made up of Brad Milner, Kacey Metcalfe, Luke Ford, Derek Fairclough and Callum Haigh all from Selby, who decided they would brighten up the gardens of local elderly people living in sheltered accommodation by tidying the gardens and then making and citing nesting boxes and bird feeders. The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
McDonalds Community Crusader Award:
“Consequences”
Nicole Thrush and Dani McMillan from Harrogate wanted to show the effect that anti-social behaviour can have on a community, as well as the perpetrators themselves. Using a PowerPoint presentation and a short film they have spread the message to their peers that this kind of behaviour has “consequences”. The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
East Coast Trains Community Award:
“The Terrific Two”
Beatrice and Helena Glassett from York had the idea of holding a pop-up café to raise money for a sensory room for young people affected by Down’s Syndrome who attended a local youth group. They baked hard, worked hard, provided a safe and fun environment for all to enjoy and raised some brilliant funds as well! They both won a mountain bike.
NHS Clinical Commissioning Group for Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Fit for the Future Award:
“The Hounds Hairy”
Made up of Esmee Pearson, Milli Eglon and Hope Smith from Whitby, the girls decided to hold a fun day to raise money for Cure Rett, an organisation which helps people with Rett’s Syndrone, a condition that one of their school friends suffers from. They made their own hair bands, purses and glasses cases to sell, did face painting, nail design, a lucky dip and sold homemade cakes to raise an amazing sum of money. The team won a PGL adventure holiday.
