Youth Achievement Awards 2012
Overall winner Bailie Aliriza
On Monday 23 April at Creasey Park Community Centre the Dunstable Town meeting was held. People were delighted to join in the accolade to this year’s winners of Dunstable Town Council Youth Achievement Awards.
This years achievement in Sport went to a young lady who has overcome many difficulties, Bailie Aliriza, but because of her determination and dedication she has excelled in her field of martial arts, currently she holds the ISKA English title for her weight. Later in the year she is to be a competitor in the World Championships in Holland, besides this she gives her time to teach beginners and other children, she is much more confident and outgoing. She will soon be a Junior Black Belt.
The Educational Attainment award was presented to Jamie Davidson. This young man has attended the Zenos training at Luton as part of his IT Apprenticeship with Pearson ATA, his employer. He worked hard to achieve various IT qualifications, despite some personal home life issues. He was driven and determined to pass every qualification available to him, which he did first time around. He worked hard to secure himself a job and started working for Modis on 6 February 2012. He is a very personable young man and is very professional in his appearance and approach.
The award for Community Involvement was awarded to Charlie Sharman, an 11 year old girl who gives up all of her free time in the holidays to go and volunteer at Downside Neighbourhood Centre where she does admin/paper work or helps with sessional workers where her observations have helped in the Centre’s evaluation process. She is also a keen swimmer and has raised lots of money for Children in Need, Marie-Curie Cancer Care and the Swimathon Foundation. As the person who nominated her said, ‘she is everything a volunteer should be. She never complains and always has a big smile on her face.’
The award for Young Carer didn’t go to just one individual but to the cast of ONIT Productions. They have produced and performed their own musical called ‘One Night of Musicals’. This was brought about by the awareness of a toddler called Lilly MacGlashan and her fight against the condition known as Neuroblastoma. They managed to raise the total sum of £2,100 for Lilly via ticket sales, programme sales and a raffle. This group of young people aged between 12-19 years have done exceptionally well and have made the decision to push their musical theatre skills to new limits whilst raising funds and awareness of this childhood cancer.
We now come to the winner of this year’s Youth Achievement Shield which went to Bailie Aliriza who has overcome so much by her determination and courage. She has been selected for the England team and won a silver medal at the European Championships in Italy. Her future looks bright.
Dunstable Mayor Councillor Clare Meakins-Jell said “It is an absolute pleasure to acknowledge both the personal and collective achievements of young people and the outstanding work they do for others in the community. This year’s awards went to very worthy winners who are a real credit to themselves and their Town”.
Date Updated: 27/04/12