The Unite Award

Youth 4 Youth

Dan Marks, Pat Wood, Rhiannon Hunter, Mat Allen, Zaid Elgami, Phil Baker, Tom Bull, Amy Roberts and Caroline Parry.

Youth4Youth began 4 years ago with two young people who wanted to run a music night for young people and give them something to do. A year later they had raised £45,000 and run a music and performing arts festival for 1000 people with 25 bands. The group has now grown and runs the Main Event festival annually. Each year the festival is getting bigger and better; they raise a minimum of £30,000 a year and run everything from stage management to publicity, fundraising to the budget. The group also runs monthly music nights called PREMIX for young people attracting over 300 each time. Their volunteering has had a significant effect on the community; young people have something to be proud of in their area and local police say it has reduced crime by 23%.

Wokingham Youth Café

Adam Wingrove, Tony Lee-White, Chelsea Crosson-Smith, Amy Truscott, Freddie Bridge, Peter Swallow and Emily Harrison.

This group of young people came together to open a youth café. They campaigned through the local press to find a venue and support for the project and formed a management committee to run the café and advertise it at community events and schools. They have successfully engaged more young people in volunteering and set up a safe environment where young people can meet and socialise.

Shelter a Hoodie

Witney Catchpole and Charlie Dinsdale.

Witney and Charlie applied for funding through the Youth Opportunity Fund to set up a project called 'Shelter a Hoodie'. They have been successful in raising over £9,500 to cover the costs of the brand new solar panelled teen shelter for young people in Carlton Meadow park. They have also created a DVD which explains how their project and the youth shelter will benefit the lives of the young people and the community that they live in.