Four Young People’s Awards events were held across the county during National Youth Work Week to celebrate and recognise the resilience and determination of 130 Hertfordshire young people. The events highlighted the positive impact that Services for Young People (SfYP) Youth Workers and Advisers have in enabling young people to overcome challenges and make significant improvements in their personal and social development.
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The Broxbourne, East Herts and Welwyn Hatfield Young People’s Awards, Tuesday 4 November
Pictured with some of the young people is Cllr Hillary Skoczylas
The Broxbourne, East Herts and Welwyn Hatfield ceremony took place at Hertford Regional College in Broxbourne, and the awards were presented to the young people by Deputy Executive member for Education, SEND and Inclusion, Cllr Hillary Skoczylas.
Cllr Skoczylas said: "Congratulations to the 59 young people honoured at the SfYP Broxbourne, East Herts and Welwyn Hatfield Young People’s Awards. Your resilience, determination, kindness and actions to help and support others are truly inspiring. Thank you for the positive contribution that you have made and will continue to make to our community. Your stories and can-do attitude are an inspiration to all of us.
"Thank you to the hard work of all the SfYP staff who support thousands of young people across Hertfordshire. Your commitment to enabling young people to show what they can achieve shines through."
Feedback from some of the award winners and their parents/carers
- "It felt amazing. It truly felt an honour to be rewarded for my journey growing with the help of youth workers. I am proud of the person I am today."
- "Tonight was amazing - a true spectacle! This has made me appreciate the work youth workers do and it’s very good to see young people awarded and appreciated."
- "Tonight was great, and all the SfYP staff are amazing. It has made me appreciate them even more."
- "Absolutely amazing event, mind blowing how much time, effort and love is shown to each young person! So proud to be a part of this event."
The St Albans and Dacorum Young People’s Awards, Tuesday 4 November
Pictured with some of the young people (from left to right) are Cllr John Hale, Cllr Sandy Walkington, Cllr Anthony Rowlands, Jo Fisher (Executive Director of Hertfordshire County Council Children’s Services), Karen Haswell (SfYP Service Manager), Shae Forsythe (SfYP Senior Youth Worker)
The event for the St Albans and Dacorum area took place at Hemel Hempstead Young People’s Centre, and Jo Fisher, Executive Director of Children's Services, presented the awards.
Cllr John Hale who attended the event said: “It was great to hear what the award winners had achieved and to be part of the celebration of them. As one of them put it so well at the end of the ceremony, to be kind and to be consistent are important traits that we should all aim to demonstrate in our daily lives.”
Cllr Sandy Walkington, Vice Chairman of the Council, said: “What a nice, heartwarming event.”
Feedback from some of the award winners and their parents/carers
- "Attending the awards was brilliant. It was eye-opening to hear the positive experiences of all the winners. Every time our family has engaged with SfYP we’ve had a quick, helpful response."
- "Thank you for helping me with my mental health and other things."
The Stevenage and North Herts Young People’s Awards, Wednesday 5 November
Pictured with some of the young people are (from left to right): Cllr Hillary Skoczylas, Cllr Sean Prendergast, Louise Rigby (SfYP CEIAG Senior Adviser), Sarah Bennett (SfYP CEIAG Practice Manager) Zella Neighbour (SfYP CEIAG Adviser), Kips Green (SfYP Service Manager) Cllr Tina Bhartwas, Laura Butcher (SfYP Youth Work Practice Manager)
Cllr Hillary Skoczylas, Deputy Executive member for Education, SEND and Inclusion, presented the awards to 27 young people at the Stevenage and North Herts Young People’s Awards event, which was held at Stevenage Young People’s Centre.
She said: “Congratulations to the incredible young people on your well-deserved awards. Your resilience, determination and positive attitude are an inspiration to us all. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and thank you for sharing your experience with us.
“Thank you to all the staff at Services for Young People for their hard work and support of young people across Hertfordshire. Tonight highlights the positive impact that this work has.”
Cllr Tina Bhartwas, who attended the event at the Stevenage Young People’s Centre, said: “The Awards Ceremony was really special; I think it is so important to celebrate our young people! It is amazing the range of projects SfYP delivers for our community and how many are tailored to children who come from a range of backgrounds and educational experiences.”
Cllr Sean Prendergast said: "An excellent initiative. Well done to all involved. To see so many successful young people was inspiring. They should all be incredibly proud."
Feedback from some of the award winners
- "I love coming to the [youth work] projects, I love to make friends and have fun! Over the school holidays, I came to the HAPpy camps, these are amazing as my mum knows I am in a safe environment and making friends."
- "The support was amazing, couldn’t ask for anything better. All the staff were amazing, always smiling."
- "The service is very good. [My Adviser] is easy to talk too. She helped me to get work experience in a nursery which I enjoyed. It was very helpful. It helped me with my confidence."
Feedback from parents/carers
- "Fantastic staff that are able to engage with withdrawn and isolated teenagers. Thank you for such an amazing service supporting my daughter in many areas of her future."
- "After choosing to home educate my son, it made it so much more rewarding knowing there was a group he could attend that understood the needs of home educated children, such as social skills. He has met friends and is much more confident due to the SfYP services."
- "You have made an amazing effort getting my granddaughter to have self-belief and confidence. Thank you!"
- "Amazing to come together and celebrate our young people. Lovely atmosphere and a chance for them to be recognised and feel special. All the SfYP staff have been welcoming and taking time to congratulate the young people. A special occasion and proud to be part of it."
The Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere Young People’s Awards, Thursday 6 November
Pictured with some of the young people are (from left to right) Cllr Mark Watkin, Cllr Tim Williams, Cllr Paula Hiscocks and Kips Green (SfYP Service Manager)
Cllr Mark Watkin, Executive Member for Education, SEND and Inclusion, presented the awards at the Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere event which was held at Watford Young People’s Centre. He said: “Thousands of people around the county benefit from this service. The Young People’s Awards are always one of the highlights of my year. [The winners] have all earned the right to be here.”
Cllr Tim Williams said: "What a fabulous job SfYP does in celebrating young people."
Feedback from some of the award winners
- "The event was lovely, and it was nice to hear everybody’s achievements… [My Adviser] has helped me though a lot. She helped me get into college and found me a work experience placement. She is still helping me find a job and I am very grateful for her. She is a lovely, sweet lady and she is very good at her job."
- "I think this is a good event; to be hosted for young people and, as a young person, I think my voice has been heard a lot. Thank you."
- "Staff are lovely and easy to talk to. My time with my youth worker has helped me find confidence and strength in the skills I have. Having someone to lean on in getting to grips with being an adult and pave my future."
Feedback from parents/carers
- "The evening was an amazing event for everyone; the entire team are fantastic and make a huge difference to the lives of young people. A massive, humongous thank you to [my daughter’s Adviser] you have changed my daughter in so many ways. Thank you for everything you have done for her."
- "[My son’s Adviser] really brought my son out of his shell with her exceptional support. She has gone above and beyond for my son with her patience and kindness, and it has not gone unnoticed… She had such a wonderful impact on my son and will be remembered for a very long time."
- "It is lovely to have young people recognised, especially those with SEN as they face many challenges that most people don’t realise. Thank you."
- "I am extremely proud of my son for winning an award this evening. This would not have been possible without the fantastic support he has been given by staff at SfYP. Thank you."
The SfYP Young People’s Awards categories
More about National Youth Work Week
Find out about all the ways SfYP supports young people here: Support for young people
