CYP Now Awards 2023: Winners revealed at glittering ceremony
Fiona Simpson
Friday, November 24, 2023
The winners of the 2023 Children and Young People Now Awards have been revealed on a night of celebration in London.
North East Young Dads and Lads Project (pictured below) were the big winners on the night with the DigiDAD initiative picking up the Advice and Guidance Award and the Youth Work Award.
DigiDAD, which was developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, is a growing online platform which offers free support and guidance to disadvantaged young dads while equipping them with new skills and expertise in film making, animation, research, podcasting, social marketing, video-gaming moderation and digital youth work.
It was also a night of celebration for the Sandwell region.
Sandwell Council’s Sandwell Transition Education Partnership Service (STEPS) became the first winner of CYP Now’s new Supporting Child Refugees Award. STEPS is a “school-like facility” which supports Sandwell’s school admissions by providing bespoke transitional services for children arriving in the area.
The Sandwell County Lines Intensification Week Partnership led by Sandwell Children's Trust's Horizons Exploitation and Missing Team won the Partnership Working Award. It received praise from the judges for its work in reducing the number of young people affected by exploitation from criminal gangs in Sandwell.
In a strong field of finalists, Wigan Youth Zone picked up the Children and Young People’s Charity of the Year after being lauded by the judges for its work in supporting disadvantaged young people across Wigan affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
The accolade was handed out by Kathy Evans, chief executive of Children England, which will be closing at the end of the year due to the challenging financial conditions affecting the sector.
An impromptu speech at the end of the evening saw Children's Society chief executive Mark Russell pay tribute to Evans (pictured below) and Children England's work which led to a standing ovation. The audience were on their feet once more for a moving reply from Evans calling for children "to be put first".
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Early Intervention Speech and Language Team commissioned by Small Steps Big Changes was awarded the accolade for Public Sector Children’s Team.
Victim Support’s children and young people national lead Ben Donagh beat stiff competition to be named Children and Young People’s Champion.
Ben’s responsibility for more 50 services across England and Wales providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive support to young people impacted by domestic abuse and violence saw him crowned this year’s winner by the judges.
Other winners on the night included FLARE (Friendship, Learning, Achieve, Reach, Empower), The Council for Disabled Children’s youth group who took home the Children’s Achievement Award for their work advocating for disabled young people. Their work includes advising the Department for Education on services for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Orson Grimer was highly commend in the same category for promoting equal opportunities for deaf children with charity Auditory Verbal UK which helped him learn to listen and speak. The charity was also awarded this year's Early Years Award.
In his opening address, CYP Now editor Derren Hayes praised the high standard of the 117 entries shortlisted for an award. He said: "This event brings together people dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people and it is our honour to celebrate your achievements and this wonderful children’s sector."
The ceremony, hosted by children's TV favourite Cerrie Burnell, took place at Fulham’s Hurlingham Club and was attended by almost 600 guests who enjoyed a three-course meal and entertainment by The Youth Drumming Band from South London Samba (pictured below).
The full list of CYP Now Awards 2022 winning and highly commended entries are:
The Early Years Award
Winner: Auditory Verbal UK, Creating a Sound Future for Deaf Children
Winner: Early Years Alliance, A Better Start Southend – Talking Transitions
The Play Award
Winner: OPAL CIC, The OPAL Primary Programme
The Digital Innovation Award
Winner: Catch22, Cloud 22
The Safeguarding Award
Winner: The Trust for Developing Communities, Youth Work - The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital The Arts and Culture Award
The Learning Award
Winner: City of York Council, Early Talk for York
Highly commended: TAG Youth Club for Disabled Young People
The Arts and Culture Award
Winner: Blackpool Grand Theatre, The Illuminate Project
Highly commended: Care to Dance
The Young Carers Award
Winner: Carers in Hertfordshire, Young Carers
Highly commended: Create, inspired:arts
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Award
Winner: City & Hackney CAMHS Alliance and Hackney CVS, Tree of Life in Schools
The Youth Work Award sponsored by the National Youth Agency
Winner: North East Young Dads and Lads Project CIO, DigiDAD 
Highly commended: TAG Youth Club for Disabled Young People
The Early Intervention Award sponsored by the Seashell Trust
Winner: Ormiston Families, Breaking Barriers 
The Youth Volunteering and Social Action Award
Winner: United By 2022 Legacy Charity, Gen22 - Ideas Made Real
The Children in Care Award
Winner: Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Room Makers Scheme
The PSHE Education Award
Winner: Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Everyone's Safer
The Family Support Award
Winner: Salford City Council, Salford Strengthening Families
The Leaving Care Award
Winner: Settle, Settle Programme
The Workforce Development Award sponsored by Children & Young People Now Jobs
Winner: The Care Leaders 
The Advice and Guidance Award
Winner: North East Young Dads and Lads Project CIO, DigiDAD
The Youth Justice Award sponsored by Unitas 
Winner: Young Hackney Prevention and Diversion Team
The Supporting Child Refugees Award
Winner: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Transition Education Partnership Service
The Partnership Working Award
Winner: Horizons Exploitation & Missing Team, Sandwell Children’s Trust and Sandwell County Lines Intensification Week Partnership
The Public Sector Children’s Team Award
Winner: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Early Intervention Speech and Language Team commissioned by Small Steps Big Changes
The Children’s Achievement Award
Winner: FLARE (Friendship, Learning, Achieve, Reach, Empower), The Council for Disabled Children
Highly commended: Orson Grimer, Auditory Verbal UK
The Children and Young People’s Champion sponsored by Phoenix 
Winner: Ben Donagh, Victim Support
The Children and Young People’s Charity Award
Winner: Wigan Youth Zone
