Celebrating achievements in Yorkshire and the East Midlands

We recently held our annual Celebration of Achievements in our Yorkshire and East Midlands region and once again it was an incredible night hearing some inspiring stories from our children and young people.

We were accompanied by animal encounters, archery, bootcamp, table tennis and some early Christmas crafts where carers told us what they love about Team Fostering.

We were also super proud of two of our young people who accompanied our CEO Kathryn, Education and Support Manager Steve and board member Chris to help present the awards.  

Here are some of the stories from our finalists:

Kindness award

Finalist 1: This young person grew her hair for the Little Princess Trust and donated 12 inches of hair to be made into a wig for children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.  She also raised nearly £700 in sponsorship.

Finalist 2: This young person is always willing to help and nurture others, she was an anti bullying ambassador at school.  She is extremely helpful with tasks in and out of her home, and is happy to help elderly relatives with any little jobs.

Winner: This young person is growing into a kind, considerate young man. Even in times of adversity he stays true to his values and shows kindness to others. He is always the first to welcome new people to his football class to help them feel included and safe. He has been helping another boy get to school, by calling for him every day. 

Artistic Achievement Award

Finalist 1: This young person regularly attends a music group, where she continues to improve her skills on the keyboard and her singing. She performs at events and has performed solo at events for her school. Over the last year, her confidence and stage presence has grown immensely. 

Finalist 2: This young person regularly shows his musical talents on the keyboards, and also writes incredibly creative and imaginative stories. He was asked to read one of these out to the whole school in assembly, which was rewarded by loud applause! 

Winner: This young person has a powerful and transformative way to express his thoughts and emotions through the written word. Writing & poetry have become a vital outlet for him, he can communicate complex emotions with honesty and depth. His words are a testament to his strength, vulnerability, and remarkable talent.

Educational Achievment Award

Finalist 1: This young person has shown perseverance with his transition to secondary school.  He has gone from not wanting to be in class to being fully involved in his daily education. He has also become quite the chef. 

Finalist 2: This young person has achieved a ‘Star Student Award’.  He had never had any awards for behaviour, but his teachers had noticed how hard he was trying. He used to like talking about his gang, but he now likes to talk about the kind things he has done. 

Winner: This young person has increased her school attendance, from 76% to 100%. She has been getting great attention to learning scores, and received positive feedback from all subject staff.  She most certainly displays an enthusiastic approach to education.

Sporting Achievement Award

Finalist 1: This young person plays football.  Earlier in the spring, they were invited to play against an under 16’s team, where she caught the eye of the coaches and was invited to train with them. She has since gone on to train and play alongside the under 16’s ladies team and has taken part in several training events and friendly tournaments. 

Finalist 2: This young personhas formed a completely new friendship group and created a scooter and BMX group. He spends countless hours at the skate park perfecting his stunts and most of all, helping other young people to enter the sport.  

Winner: This young person is a member of a football team. He shows a lot of promise and dedication to the sport. He works hard to improve his skills and contribute fully to the team. He also has a strong knowledge of the game and is always ready to support his teammates as a defender. His positive attitude and effort make a big difference to the team and has earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and opponents alike.

Courage and Determination Award

Finalist 1: This young person shows determination to succeed in all academic areas. She has achieved top set in all her subjects through focus and consistency, never missing a homework deadline and never been absent or late from school. 

Finalist 2: This young person showed remarkable strength and bravery attending a 7-day summer camp. This was his first time being away from his family for such a long time. Despite initially being nervous and wanting to come home, with the support of his camp leaders, he stayed for the full week.  We are extremely proud of him for showing that true courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to face it.

Winner: This young person has faced cancer like a champion.  Two weeks ago he finished his course of chemotherapy and rang the bell! He still has a long way to go, but this is definitely a big milestone.

Dedication and Commitment Award

Finalist 1: This young person has returned to Cadets in September after a short break, to continue his passion and career pathway in the Army Cadets. He has shown amazing resilience and progress this year, and in recognition of this, he was awarded ‘Most Improved Cadet’. He shines above his peers with his marching. 

Finalist 2: This young person has dedicated time to attend Young Farmers and encouraging a friend to join too. This took her out of her comfort zone and saw her attempt a range of new activities and learn new things. 

Winner: This young person has shown remarkable drive and dedication to making a positive difference. He has been passionate about volunteering for Barnardo’s since he was 10. Now he has secured a work permit and has begun a new role. His manager has praised him for his politeness, positive attitude, and the joy he brings to the team. He also consistently goes above and beyond. 

Preparation for Independence Award

Finalist 1: This young person has started to grow more independent. He is happy to help in the kitchen at mealtimes and has started to prepare family meals.  He completes schoolwork without being prompted.  He always offers to help with chores around the house and never shies away from getting stuck into a heavy job when needed.

Finalist 2: This young person has shown remarkable growth in developing the skills necessary to transition into adult life. He is attending college for his second year and is actively seeking a part-time job. He volunteers at Barnardo’s is an active member of Explorers and is working towards his Duke of Edinburgh award.  He helps with household chores and has developed excellent budgeting skills. 

Winner: This young person went and handed his CV into a pub, and went for an interview 3 days later.  He attended his first staff meeting on the Friday and then worked all weekend. 

If you’d like to join an agency where we champion every achievement of our young people, no matter how big or small, enquire about becoming a foster carer with us here.