Youth-led leading - it’s a new year’s honour

Many get recognised within civil society/the youth sector by local authorities, voluntary organisations, and sponsors by local and national awards initiatives, and many reading this will have made a nomination or perhaps been part of the judging process. However, few stories break through to get national media coverage, to challenge the negative stereotypes that still persist about young people. One exception are the Queens Birthday and New Year’s Honours where there has been a recent increase and frequency of young people being recognised through BEMs and MBEs.

I first noticed the current trend* of awarding BEMs to young change makers in 2013, when Anisa Hagdadi was awarded a BEM (aged 23) for founding Beatfreaks, an award-winning social enterprise engaging young people in arts, training and leadership opportunities. A year later, the chair of the British Youth Council, Rosina St James (aged 23) was awarded a BEM for her work on health and wellbeing for young people. Although young people in sports and arts has been recognised for their achievements, it was still rare for young campaigners or volunteers to be nominated or recognised.

The next name I came across was in 2017, when Devan Witter (aged 19) was awarded a BEM for founding antibullying campaign Action Against Bullying, and in 2018 was joined by changemakers Jeremiah Emmanuel BEM (aged 18) a youth activist and anti-knife crime campaigner; Lucia Mee BEM (aged 18) an organ donation campaigner; and Tyler Murphy BEM (aged 22) for setting up the Tyler’s Trust to support others who share his brain tumour condition.

In 2019, MBEs were awarded to Saeed Atcha, activist, former trustee of StepUpToServe and founder of Explode magazine; while MBEs were awarded to the the chief executive of Patchwork Foundation Imran Sanaullah MBE (aged 26) for engaging young people from minorities in politics and Anna Rose Barker MBE (aged 28) an MBE for services to young people including being a former chair of the British Youth Council and a BEM to Richard Collins (aged 17, Asperger’s Support).

In the 2020 New Year’s Honours list Matthew Otubu BEM (aged 24) former member of the Youth Parliament for services to young people in the UK and Africa, Ibrahim Yousaf BEM, at the of age 13 the youngest so far, for fundraising for cancer research, joined the inspiring Mete Coban BME (aged 27) for establishing My Life My Say, giving youth-voice an effective platform on Brexit, as well as campaigning for young voter registration. In addition, Yusuf Patel, 25, is now an MBE for services to community cohesion and interfaith in Redbridge; Jack Marshall BEM, 21, disability advocate; Hannah Phillips BEM, 24, for services to charity, and  Kaiya Swain BEM, 25, for services to the World Skills Competition.

Giving awards to those so young is not without its critics who argue that early one-off achievements are not comparable with a lifetime of service, but that doesn’t take account of the future potential such recognition will help to sustain, the increased likelihood of more opportunities coming their way, and marking them as flagbearers of a next generation.

I hope that in sharing these few examples its prompts us all to think of others who would deserve to be recognised, not just nationally, but locally too. I have made it one of my new year resolutions to turn these thoughts of admiration into action, talent spotting more young leaders and champions to be nominated.

As the Cabinet Office Honours strapline says: “Do something amazing, for someone amazing - #nominatetoday”.

*The list of young people in this blog are either those that I have known personally or have come across through their work and not everyone named in the Honours List agree to publicity. Anyone reading this article who knows of nationally “honoured” young people I've overlooked, please get in touch via www.YoungVoicesHeard.org.uk

James Cathcart is the founder and director of YoungVoicesHeard @YVH_YouthVoice