Unfortunately the awards ceremony, scheduled to take place in London in March 2020, had to be cancelled, as a result of the restrictions imposed under the coronavirus pandemic.
This was hugely disappointing for finalists and organisers. the projects were inspiring and many of the finalists made arrangements to present their awards locally. All the sponsors appreciated the efforts which the young people had put in and wrote to each winner.
The results were as follows:
Youth Led
Winners: Clwyd and Gwynedd: Sharing Stories.
Runners Up: Derbyshire: Targeting Substance Abuse in Young people.
Third Place: Merseyside: Savera Youth UK.
Adult Led
Winners: Berkshire: Reading Community Court.
Runners Up: Mid Glamorgan: Operation Canary.
Third Place: West Yorkshire: Community Jam.
High Sheriffs’ Association Award: Mid Glamorgan: Operation Canary.
Details of the winning projects
County: Berkshire
Project Title: Reading Community Court
Entry Category: Adult Led
Operating from 2018, the Reading Community Court (RCC) has been run by a group of young people seeking to modify the perceptions of young offenders through a restorative justice approach. RCC does not determine innocence or guilt nor be a substitute the criminal court system. To participate in this program the offender must have admitted their guilt and be prepared to engage in the restorative mechanism. RCC seeks to link actions with consequences and the impact of those actions on victims. The project also seeks to engage young offenders in more positive activities and has achieved a reduction in the re-offending rate of participants from a national average of 40.9% to 15.6%.
County: Mid Glamorgan
Project Title: Knife Awareness, Operation Canary
Entry Category: Adult Led
This project has been delivered by a group of Police Youth Volunteers (PYVs) in Bridgend (Pen-y-Bont ar Ogwr) under the supervision of PC Darren Morris. The project conducted a purchasing exercise to verify compliance with the law for the sale of knives to young people. All five stores in the initial sample failed the compliance test so were issued with a police warning letter and an information poster to remind staff of the restrictions. On repeating the exercise a month later, involving a larger number of stores, 4 of the 16 stores checked failed the compliance test, one of which had failed in the initial sample.
A further exercise a short time later resulted in a 100% compliance level, greatly reducing the opportunity for young people to purchase knives in their locality.
County: West Yorkshire
Project Title: Community Jam
Entry Category: Adult Led
Community Jam uses music, drama and film to communicate the stories of young people who have been the victims of crime including cyber bullying, CSE, grooming and intimidation of vulnerable people. The materials produced were then made available to schools, youth clubs and colleges. Videos produced by the group were shown at Bradford College’s Hate Crime Conference where students of Social Care and Youth & Community Development could see the power of media in getting across a strong message.
County: Clwyd & Gwynedd
Project Title: Sharing Stories Sharing Strength
Entry Category: Youth Led
Sexual assault and violence affect different people in different ways but this project helps victims to find the strength to speak out about their experience. The project was devised and created by a group of young people in North Wales who had used Amethyst SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre), and uses the words of young people who have experienced sexual violence. The group has produced an excellent booklet. Available in English and Welsh, that informs, guides and re-assures those who have been victims of these crimes and helps them on the path to become survivors.
The group has also produced a film that narrates the text in the booklet accompanied by relevant video footage making the material available in two formats, increasing its accessibility
County: Derbyshire
Project Title: Targeting substance abuse in young people
Entry Category: Youth Led
Aware that drug use was increasing amongst young people and that school exclusions were growing as a result, four Derby police cadets set out to create a presentation that would increase awareness of the consequences and implications of drug use and dispel some of the myths that surround this issue.
So that the effectiveness of the project could be established objectively, the group conducted a survey in two schools to set a base level of knowledge and understanding. After delivering their presentation to over 350 Year 9 students, the survey was repeated with significant increases in the scores recorded. The presentation had a positive impact by increasing young people’s understanding and awareness around drug use, its consequences and the management of peer pressure.
County: Merseyside
Project Title: Savera UK Youth
Entry Category: Youth Led
Savera UK Youth is a group of youngsters aged 11 to 25 who are passionate about raising awareness amongst their peers of ‘honour’ based abuse (HBA), forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). By approaching these issues through education, the group works to empower potential victims so that they are better prepared and equipped to resist such practices.
The group has staged a conference, arranged an exhibition focused on #EndFGM and produced a film called #StoptheWedding. A Question Time event was held in a local school attended by people from diverse backgrounds and communities. The group uses a variety of media methods to communicate their message and is active in seeking new platforms from which they can convey their message.
