STUDENTS have been honoured for their “inspirational” community spirit during an annual awards event at a North East college.
The Volunteering Awards, staged at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, celebrated the dedication and selflessness of students making a positive impact in a variety of ways.
They included Year 12 student Samuel Ellis, who was named Young Citizen of the Year for his bravery and quick-thinking in carrying out life-saving CPR on a man during a roadside emergency.
One of the most poignant awards of the evening was presented to students from the college’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) for an initiative called ‘Operation Candlelight’. During the Christmas period, the CCF students placed candles on more than 500 Commonwealth War Graves in Darlington Cemetery and other County Durham churchyards.
James Verity won the Community Sport Volunteer of the Year award for showing “exceptional commitment” in providing voluntary media support for multiple Scottish football clubs.
He said: “It was a fantastic evening, and winning the award is great recognition of the hard work I’ve put in. Volunteering has been a great experience for me, not only allowing me to use and develop my skills, but also incredibly enjoyable.”
Student Union President Moyin Akindunbi and Vice President Jaspreet Kaur were also honoured for their “invaluable contributions and unwavering dedication” to the college community.
Live entertainment was provided by two students – Alfie Nixon on piano and Jonty Ledbetter performing magic tricks.
Nancy Wall, Volunteer Co-ordinator at the college, paid tribute to the award-winners, saying: “It is an absolute privilege to support such an inspiring group of young people.
“Their willingness to give their time, energy and compassion to help others is truly commendable. The breadth of volunteering we see each year continues to grow, and these students demonstrate just how powerful a positive contribution to the community can be. We are incredibly proud of all that they have achieved.”
College Principal, Laurence Job, added: “The Volunteering Awards evening is a powerful and inspiring reminder of what can be achieved through kindness, compassion and commitment.
“It is truly inspiring to see the profound and positive impact our students are having on people’s lives through such a diverse range of volunteering activities. We are immensely proud of each and every one of them.”
The awards were attended by a host of distinguished guests, including the Mayor of Darlington, Councillor Helen Crumbie, and Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, Mike Poole, who described the winners as “exceptional individuals”.
ROLL OF HONOUR
Community Sport Volunteer of the Year – James Verity; Contribution to Sport – Anishka Sangha and Isabelle Tait; Contribution to the College Community – Moyin Akindunbi and Jaspreet Kaur; Contribution to Arts and Culture – Leah Jo Laundy; Wellbeing Volunteer of the Year – Lilia Farid Hosseini; Community Volunteer of the Year – Maya Crutchley; Volunteering Project of the Year – Operation Candelight Team (Amelie Jones, Prakat Sunuwar, and Sophie Robinson); Above and Beyond Award – Grace Davison; Chris Wiper Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Service of Others – QE Interact (Nathan Appleton and Maggie Ensbury); Young Citizen of the Year – Samuel Ellis.