Annual celebration to mark achievements of children in care
By: News Archive
More than 100 children and young people in care have been recognised at Norfolk County Council’s annual celebration of achievement awards.
Every year the County Council hosts the event to mark the academic, sporting and personal successes of children and young people in its care.
This year’s award ceremony took place on Saturday (30 June) at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and was attended by children and young people, their foster carers and social workers.
Penny Carpenter, Chairman of the Children’s Services Committee at Norfolk County Council, said: “This is the highlight of our year in Children’s Services – a time when we all get the chance to come together and celebrate the huge achievements of those in our care.
“We are incredibly proud of our children. The stories of the young people receiving these awards are inspiring and show what can be achieved with determination, encouragement and support. I would like to congratulate each and every one of them.
“I’d also like to thank our dedicated foster carers, social work and school staff, who have collectively supported these young people to achieve their potential.”
The awards were presented by Sarah Outen MBE, land and sea adventurer, who spoke to the audience about her travels and challenges.
All of the young people received a book token, medal and certificate.
UEA also presented four young people with special awards, to celebrate particular effort and achievement in education.
They each received a certificate and voucher and have also been offered the opportunity to take part in university activities, organised especially to suit them. These can include one-to-one mentoring or academic tutoring with a UEA student, or a bespoke visit to the campus for a ‘student shadowing day’ which gives insight into life as a student.
Liz Ferguson, Outreach Officer for UEA, said: “The Outreach team works with young people, including those who have been in care, to encourage them to consider higher education in the future.
“This is the second year that we have hosted the celebration of achievement at UEA, and it was fantastic to welcome so many young people and their carers to this special day.”
Among those to receive an award was Nathan Adams (pictured with Sarah Outen), 15, who lives in North Norfolk. Nathan was nominated by his social worker for his achievements both at school and in sport.
His award submission said: “Nathan always works hard and strives to do his best. He continues to be an exceptional runner and represents Norfolk whilst still managing all his school work. He hopes to one day run in the Olympics. Nathan has 100% attendance in school for the past seven years and is a wonderful speaker.”
Jasmine Pretty, from the Broadland area, also received an award for her academic achievements and was nominated by her teacher. She is Deputy Head Girl at her school and leads literacy support sessions for younger children and regularly volunteers both in and out of school.
Ann, Jasmine’s carer, said: “Jasmine is a young lady who we have seen blossom over the time she has been with us. She is very hard working and throws herself into any project, activity or hobby with 100% commitment.
“She constantly thinks of others and is both kind and loving. Animals are her main priority and she spends time not only caring for them, especially horses but finds ways of collecting much needed items for animal shelters as well as getting involved with animal charities. She is inspiring and a good role model for others both in and out of school.
There is so much I could say about this remarkable young lady and the achievements she has made and always with a smile. Everyone is touched by her and I know the school will miss her terribly because of her energy and enthusiasm.”
He submission said: “Jasmine is and always has been a very dedicated student who has nothing but high standards for herself in everything she does. It has remained her focus, since year 7, to qualify as a vet and aims to complete A levels and go onto university. Jasmine was nominated to take part in the Brilliant Club last year - working with Cambridge University. Jasmine earned herself a first for the piece of work she completed and is the only looked after child to have ever done this. Even with all these extra activities and her dedication to studies, Jasmine remains a popular member of her year group, who is highly regarded by her peers and all the staff within the school.”
Tasha-Leigh Aubrey,17, was nominated by her Independent Reviewing Officer.
Her submission said: “Tasha is doing brilliantly at college where she has achieved two passes and two distinctions. She is studying for a level 3 in Animal Care with aspirations to extend her learning to a degree in Animal Welfare or Zoology. Tasha managed with great success a work placement at a rare breeds farm. She was highly commended for all the work that she did. Just don't ask her about the ewe's prolapsed womb!”
Related Articles
Nurses worldwide rely on intuition to triage patients
Nurses around the world use intuition to work out how sick a patient is before triaging for treatment according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
Read more
UEA nursing apprentice’s sky-high dive for Alzheimer's and Dementia awareness
On Sunday 24 September, University of East Anglia (UEA) nursing apprentice Francessca Turrell will be taking part in a charity skydive for Alzheimers Society, a UK care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers.
Read more
New book to focus on Norwich’s medieval logos
Logo Rewind: Trademarks of Medieval Norwich is a new book from UEA Publishing Project, in collaboration with CreativeUEA and featuring the work of Darren Leader, which will focus on the stories of Norwichs medieval merchants marks found in different locat
Read more