16/07/2012 : BHP's young people win national award
BHP's Youth Editorial Board were winners at the sixth annual 2012 National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) Awards which took place on 11 July at the Midland Hotel, Manchester.
The Youth Editorial Board took home the trophy in the category of Best Use of Communication for the magazine produced entirely by young tenants called "Our Say". Innovation, creativity and community were just some of the words used to describe the projects that were entered in this category.
The awards are designed to honour those who have dedicated time, resources and, above all, enthusiasm to improving the lives of their neighbours and communities, the awards highlight best practice and celebrate the successes and achievements of individuals and teams from across the diverse ALMO (arm's length management organisation) sector.
The Youth Editorial Board project was set up in 2009 for young people aged 13 to 19 years. The group produce a youth magazine called 'Our Say' for the residents of BHP managed homes. It is a quarterly publication run by and for young people, enabling them to have their say about issues affecting them within the borough.
The Youth Editorial Board:
- Gives young people a voice
- Empowers young people and gives them ownership of the project
- highlights key issues that affect young people and encourages discussions and debates through facebook and blogs
- Builds up team working and partnership working skills
- Has a lasting difference, and bridges gaps between age groups by uniting in a common cause of community and where you live
'Our Say' has dealt with issues that are very relevant to young people including graffiti, drugs, gun and knife crime, animal welfare issues, the London riots, further education and government cuts.
Sue Roberts MBE, NFA Chair said: "This year is the first year that I had the pleasure of taking part in judging the NFA Awards. I feel very proud and privileged to be part of a sector whose residents, members and staff continue to develop and deliver innovative, fresh and exciting ideas to improve services and to make lives and neighbourhoods better".
Peter Nugent, aged 19, and Editor of 'Our Say' said: "We've been running the Youth Editorial Board for almost three years now; we put a lot of effort in to our articles and in to developing a community led magazine for young people. It is a proud moment when all that effort is recognised nationwide".
Gerry Doherty, Chief Executive of BHP, said: "I would like to extend my congratulations to the members of the Youth Editorial Board who donate their valuable time to give back to their community. They are doing an excellent job and winning this award from the NFA is brilliant recognition for their hard work".