SIX local young people, including three Bridgnorth Beavers’ Club helpers, were praised as they received ‘Good Citizens’ awards on Monday for their outstanding contributions to the community over the past year.
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The Beavers helpers are brother and sister Janson and Amber Ball and Peter Sladen. Oldbury Wells School student Amber, 13, encourages the Beavers to get involved with sports and organises games of netball, cricket and football.
Ceremony.
Janson, 11, who goes to St Mary’s Bluecoat School, goes to all the clubs run under St Mary’s Youth Initiative, including the Beavers and adapts naturally when playing sports with them, appreciating they may not be able to achieve the same as others.
Peter, 17, who attends the Endowed School, is brilliant at responding to Beavers’ needs and helps on their sports days and trips out.
One of the youngsters – Tom Polak, who is a student at Shifnal’s Idsall Sixth Form College – has been shortlisted for the overall award from West Mercia Constabulary. Tom will be attending a gala ceremony hosted by Chief Constable Paul West at the police headquarters at Hindlip Hall on October 2.
Tom has coached primary schoolchildren hockey for two years and is currently running a trampoline club. He has also organised indoor athletics and taken first aid child protection courses.
Tom is also involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award scheme and has acted as a staff member on expeditions. In addition, he has done more than 200 hours voluntary work for Millennium Volunteers.
His many other activities include working as a first-aider at weekends and he has also helped to organise a mini sports festival for local primary children.
Two Albrighton teenagers who attend Idsall Sixth Form College, also received awards. Bethan Roberts 18, has coached athletics at Bridgnorth Athletics Club and at school for three years and is a keen runner. She attended a Step into Sport programme at Loughborough University where she was was selected to be a leader at the UK School Games in Coventry which she helped to run.
Bethan has achieved a level one athletics coaching award and is a member of the British Cycling Talent Team.
Volunteers
Kirsty Stubbs, also 18, is an assistant coach at the Idsall School trampolining club and helps the Albrighton Rainbows. She organises indoor athletics events and gymnastic competitions and has just started Volunteer Therapy, which involves working with a boy who has weak muscles.
She received recognition from Millennium Volunteers for 250-plus hours of voluntary work.
The presentations on Monday were made by Chief Superintendent Pete Robinson who is the Telford & Wrekin police divisional commander and by Julia Almond, corporate director of children and young people from Telford & Wrekin.