THE Melksham Young People’s Award will be handed out on Friday, June 21 to celebrate the achievements and successes of young people from across the local community.

The Young People’s Awards were launched by local children and young people’s charity Young Melksham seven years ago and have been a popular annual event ever since.

The organisers are looking for nominations for young people who have done something spectacular over the past year.

They are asking if you know a young person, group, team or club who:

• Care for or support a loved one, friend or neighbour;

• Volunteer to help others or improve their community;

• Have been an incredible team player;

• Have worked hard to raise funds for others;

• Have been a great example to others or is a fantastic role model;

• Have stood up for what they believe in and made a difference;

• Have made significant progress academically;

• Have made an outstanding achievement in sports or the arts;

• Have battled against the odds.

Jon Hubbard, chairman of the Trustees at Young Melksham, the award organisers, says the team are keen to hear about the achievements of all young people.

“We are not just interested in those who have had magnificent achievements that everyone would recognise, such as great academic achievements or spectacular sporting success. We are really keen to learn about the individual successes and achievements that young people have made in their personal lives, where they have overcome obstacles or challenges and have gone on to succeed.”

“For some, because of their personal circumstances simply getting a high attendance at school, or even managing to go to school is a real achievement and it is important that we celebrate these as much as we celebrate those with 100 per cent attendance.

“Every year we see a number of really special nominations for young people who are carers or who support others in ways that many of us just could not comprehend.

“These amazing young people deserve to be told just how special they are, and how those that they care for, as well as the wider community, really appreciate and recognise what they do.

“The awards night is without doubt my personal highlight of the year and I’m really looking forward to seeing the wonderful nominations we will receive this year and meeting these spectacular young people in June.

“We are, as ever, so grateful to the local businesses and organisations that sponsor our awards and this year for the first time, with their support, we are awarding some of our winners a gift voucher prize as well as their certificate and trophy.”

To submit nominations go to http://www.youngmelksham.org.uk/awards