More than 130 people from all over Western Europe and the UK gathered at the Rheindahlen Rooms, JHQ to celebrate the achievements of 27 very special children and young people at the SSAFA Forces Help Young Achiever Awards.  Now in its tenth year, the annual event recognises outstanding personal achievements: from coping admirably with illness or disability, to helping and caring for others; from contributions to the local community to amazing sporting and creative achievements.

All the Young Achievers braved the red carpet to the stage where each of them was presented with a SSAFA Forces Help Young Achiever Award certificate and commemorative glass award by Room 785 presenter Simeon Courtie.   Sir Robin Ross, Chairman of SSAFA Forces Help and Mrs Sigi Melvin, Chairperson of SSAFA Forces Help Western Europe were also there to support the event. 

“This year is a very special year - it’s the tenth anniversary of the Young Achiever Awards and it’s completely fitting that we’ve had such a fantastic response and that so many children and young people are here to receive an award,” says Alison Crowe, Publicity Officer for SSAFA Forces Help. “It has been wonderful to hear about their achievements, they are an inspiration to us all”.

Amongst them were four young people from Gütersloh:

Freya Flindell received an award for her positive attitude following an accident which has affected her memory, as well as having its physical consequences.  Despite this, she is a keen sportswoman who plays an active role in all sporting events, fighting hard for her condition not to be a hurdle and continues to be a high achieving GCSE student. 

Jordan Buchan was recognised for his amazing fundraising efforts and for inspiring others with the sheer energy he approaches any charity event, organizing Easter egg hunts to discos to raise significant funds for Children in Need, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and for the King’s school SSAFA Big Brew Up.
 
Kirsty Atkins received an award in recognition of her young carer duties, looking after both her mum and her sister who have significant health issues.  Despite all this, she has continued to maintain her school coursework and achieve her expected grades.

Shannon Atkins like her sister, Kirsty, was also recognised for being a young carer to her mum, and for being positive throughout her own illness, which has meant undergoing regular surgery for benign tumours in her throat at Great Ormand Street Hospital. London.

Also from Münster:

Charlie McClurg received an award in recognition of his tremendous bravery after falling over two metres into an underground water tank.  As a result, he suffered injury to his chest and arm and although the wounds have healed, the longer-term effects have touched the whole family.  Charlie started to have trouble sleeping but has bravely tackled his fears by attending counselling sessions.  He said at the time of the accident, “It was better it happened to me than to one of the younger ones”.

Further recipients of a SSAFA Young Achiever Award: Tabea Dahn (Hameln), Dominic Pettyfer (Hameln), Chloe Leach (Hameln), Chloe Allen (Paderborn), John Allen (Paderborn), Ann Mungai (Fallingbostel), Katie Lewis (Hohne), Seta Robarobalevu (Fallingbostel), Aimee Shoulder (JHQ), Joshua Shoulder (JHQ), Frans Schapendonk (JHQ), Stephen Donelly (JHQ), Benjamin Fullbrook (Wildenrath), Gemma Fuller (JHQ), Kelly Fuller (JHQ), Alex Kibblewhite (JHQ), Steven Richards (JHQ), Rebecca McGeehan (JHQ) and the Windsor School Rag Committee (JHQ).

The event is organised by the Volunteer Projects Office, SSAFA Forces Help Western Europe and generously sponsored by Sixth Sense.