CYP

Children In Care Achievements Celebrated

The achievements of Somerset children and young people in care have been celebrated at the 2017 Annual Achievement Awards in Bridgwater.

Around 320 children were recognised for their efforts, through nominations from social and youth workers and other Children’s Services professionals. The children and young people, spanning toddlers to young adults, were commended across five categories:

• Personal Achievement – showing resilience or personal development

• Positive Pastimes – doing well in sport, music, social, arts or leisure activities

• Education, Training and Employment – achieving at school, college, in training or work

• Helping Others – helping or making a difference to other people

• Courage – being brave in dealing with personal illness or tragedy, or helping and supporting those around them.

Among those nominated were young people volunteering with Riding for the Disabled and St John Ambulance, representing Great Britain in basketball, working for Duke of Edinburgh awards and one young girl who had saved her foster carer’s life when they had suffered a heart attack.

Special mention was also made of the Somerset In Care and Leaving Care Councils, who are incredible young people committing many hours of their time to projects helping others in care and in the wider community.

The awards event, which was held on Thursday 27 July at the Canalside venue in Bridgwater, gave children and young people a chance to meet others sharing similar experiences.

Cllr Frances Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Somerset County Council said: “I’d like to offer heartfelt congratulations to all the children and young people who were nominated in this year’s Annual Achievement Awards. It is so important to celebrate our children’s positivity, bravery and resilience in the face of great challenges. Thank you to our ‘Somerset In Care and Leaving Care Councils’, who did a fantastic job arranging it.”

You can make a difference to a child or young person in care as a Foster Carer in Somerset – visit www.fosteradoptsomerset.org.uk , phone 0800 587 9900, ‘like’ the Fostering in Somerset Facebook page or follow @fostersomerset on Twitter.

Or come along to Fostering in Somerset’s next information event on Wednesday 20 September at Costa Coffee Yeovil, 7pm to 9pm BA20 1LE. Those who attend will get a free Costa coffee and cake.

Photo attached shows Cllr Frances Nicholson, Cllr Leigh Redman and Julian Wooster.

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