Photo caption: left to right: TV and radio star Neil Fox with members of the winning team - Louise Widdrington, Julie Stott, Eleanor Langley and Jo Vary - and Ravi Chandiramani, editor of Children & Young People magazine.
A Gateshead young people’s project has received top honours in the Oscars of the childcare world.
Gateshead Young Women’s Outreach Project was named as the Youth Team of the Year at the Children’s Stars Awards 2008 in London.
The event was hosted by TV and Radio Star, Neil Fox, and attended by hundreds of childcare professionals from across the UK. Organised by national children’s charity, 4Children, the awards honour the unsung heroes who work day-in, day-out to improve the lives of children young people.
The team of eight from Gateshead’s Young Women’s Project, beat off competition from dozens of other entries from across the UK, to win the award because of an overwhelming ‘passion and enthusiasm for their work’ and for being ‘a true team’.
Gateshead’s Young Women’s Project was set up in 1992 to provide support to vulnerable young women across Gateshead with issues such as confidence building, numeracy and literacy skills and teenage pregnancy.
Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children, said: “No job is more important than looking after our children. Gateshead’s Young Women’s Outreach Project have achieved something truly remarkable and deserve to be recognised and celebrated at these awards.”
Councillor Catherine Donovan, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The team running Gateshead’s Young Women’s Project embodies all the attributes we are looking for in the provision of high quality services for children and young people. They are welcoming, motivational, highly skilled and make a real difference to young people’s lives.
“It’s fantastic to see them honoured at such a high level – they truly deserve this recognition.”