Children & Young People Now Awards

Best Corporate Parent - Ealing Corporate Parent Panel, Ealing Council

Ealing's GSCE results for looked-after children are among the highest in London and this year 18 per cent of care leavers went on to university compared with a national average of six per cent.

Children & Young People's Champion - Michele Elliott, Kidscape ZAP

Michele Elliot took out a second mortgage 25 years ago to set up the anti-bullying charity Kidscape, which she ran from her bedroom. The judges admired how much Michele had done over the last 25 years and the fact her vision and dedication have helped make a difference to the lives of so mnay young people.

The Health and Wellbeing Award - School Green Gym, BTCV

Green Gym sessions aim to provide a variety of fun physical activities through practical environmental tasks in school grounds and neighbouring green spaces. An evaluation report found that 80 per cent of children taking part said Green Gym made them feel good about themselves.

The Stay Safe Award - Awaken Project, Blackpool Young People's Services

Launched after the tragic disappearance of Blackpool teenager Charlene Downes in 2003, the town's groundbreaking Awaken Project was set up to combat the growing problem of sexual exploitation of children in the area. Young women who take part in the project are made aware of how to avoid being groomed.

The Integrated Working Award - Engage Project, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Engage brings together social workers, police, health workers, staff from Brook sexual health clinic, the Lifeline charity, Barnardo's and the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping to share intelligence and expertise, and to tackle sexual exploitation of children in Blackburn with Darwen.

The Play Award - Street Play, London Play

London Play, which is funded by the Big Lottery, hopes to support 100 street play parties across the capital over a three-year period. The scheme launched in May 2008 and so far 40 events, giving children an opportunity to play out on their streets, have been held.

The Workforce Development Award - Customer Service NVQ, Leicester YMCA

Leicester YMCA set out to help the young people living in its supported accomodation to gain an NVQ Level 1-2 in customer service. Nineteen young people have graduated from the first two courses, with som eachieving instant success in getting jobs or going on to further education.

The Justice Award - Intensive Fostering, Action for Children

Intensive fostering is a direct alternative to a custodial sentence for children and young people aged between 10 and 17. It attempts to surround the child with positive role models and mentors and isolate them from negative peers.

Youth Work Award - W13 Youth and Connexions Centre, Ealing

The centre offers a wide range of opportunjities to its 600 members and many activities are led by the young people themselves. Young people are encouraged to pas on what they have learned to others - the dance group for example is led by a young man who began his professional street dancing career there.

The Early Years Award - Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council children's centres

Involving parents as equal partners in running children's centres has meant they have truly been able to become hubs within local communities in Blackburn with Darwen. Parents, children's professionals and the council have equal decision-making power, each making up one-third of the management board.

The Learning Award - Pitstop, Sunderland Association Football Club Association

Pitstop was set up in March 2005 to provide support for excluded secondary school pupils to help them back into mainstream education by raising their aspirations and self-esteem, tackling social issues and giving them basic skills. Five years on and they have worked with 364 young peopple, enabling 94 per cent to improve their behaviour and 96 per cent to be successfully integrated back into the classroom.

The Extended School Award - Room 21, Leek High Specialist Technology School, Staffordshire

Room 21 is a multi-agency room based at Leek High Specialist Technology School that brings together learnign mentors, health professionals, a parent support worker, Staffordshire Police, the youth offending team, Connexions and other organisations working with young people. Last school year Room 21 was accessed 665 times.

The Parenting Award - Give me Room to Breathe, Lancashire Safeguarding Children Board

Lancashire has one of the highest rates of unexpected infant deaths in the UK. This initiative, targeting parents in deprived areas, offers free products such as room thermometers featuring safe sleeping messages as well as beer mats, posters, leaflets and a video. In the year before the project launched there were nine baby deaths in Pendle, the year after there were none.

The Volunteering and Participation Award - VIP Project, LifeLine

LifeLine tries to combat negative perceptions of young people in Barking and Dagenham with initiatives like litter picking flash mobs. Around 100 young people, supported by youth workers, descended on the streets to pick up litter, distribute leaflets for a local youth club and talk to residents.

The Financial Capability Award - Nationwide Education, dbda

Building society Nationwide created Nationwide Education, which provides information on money management for four- to 18-year-olds. Nine out of ten teachers rate the programmes as good or excellent, and 96 per cent of parents rate the games and storybooks as engaging or very engaging.

Council of the Year - Ealing Council

Ealing has worked hard to make sure the voices of its 70,000 children and young people are heard and their needs met. A consultation with more than 6,300 led to an extra £1m allocated to multi-use games areas, more dance and swimming opportunities and a £20,000 skate park. Ofsted found that Ealing's children and young people make an outstanding contribution, the number of young people not in employment, education or training has fallen consistently, and the brough has seen the largest reduction in teenage crime across London.

The Arts and Culture Award - Break, Devon & Cornwall Constabulary

Pablo Beckhurst, a police community support officer, set up this free streetdance and breakdance workshop. It runs for 90 minutes twice a week, and more than 60 young people take part at each session. The local neighbourhood policing team attends and spends time engaging with young people and their parents.

Advice and Guidance - Single Access Point, The Bridge

Single Access Point works with young people who are having problems where they are living and are at risk of becoming homeless. Every 16- and 17-year old who comes is given a need assessment and then assistance in developing their own individual action plan.

Preventative Work Award - Single Access Point, The Bridge

The Bridge's mediation service works with around 70 families a year, helping to resolve any difficulties they may be facing with their 16- and 17-year-old children that could lead to them becoming homeless. In 2008-9, 48 per cent of the young people who used the service retuned to or remained at home, 72 per cent of them with support from the mediation service.

The Third Sector Engagement Award - Buckinghamshire Community Childminding Network (BCCN)

A partnership project between Buckinghamshire County Council and the National Childminding Association, BCCN is a network of specialist, quality-assured, registered childminders across Buckinghamshire. The network aims to provide flexible, quality childcare services to cildren and young people who may have slipped through the net of existing services.

The Anti-Bullying Award - Exceeding Expectations - LGBT Youth North West

LGBT North West recruited and trained 35 young people from across the region to deliver workshops in Manchester secondary schools which would challenge other young people's opinions on LGBT people and address homophobic bullying. The young people were given intensive training in peer education skills and support afterwards to discuss any negative situation they may have been exposed to.

The Children & Young People's Service Team of the Year - The Paul Hunter Foundation Snooker Youth Club, North Lancs Training Group

The snooker club aims to give disadvantaged able-bodied and disabled eight- to 18-year-olds a chance to play snooker. The sessions pull together a range of services, including the youth offending team, Lancashire Constabulary and the North Lanc Training Group. All have the common aim of providing activities for young people and reducing antisocial behaviour. The youth offending team has reported a 63 per cent reduction in first-time entrants to the criminal justice system following the launch of the sessions.