On Wednesday 9th October over 200 Northwest Coasters gathered in Devonport to celebrate and recognise 54 young people from right across the Coast, who were nominated for the Inspiring Youth Awards. The awards are designed to capture the everyday positive contributions young people make to our community and let them know they are seen and appreciated. Guests were treated to two guest speakers; Nathan Whittle from SeaFM who shared about his own learnings of self-discovery and acceptance, and Jannie MacLeod from Jannie’s Purpose who showed such strength in sharing her story of becoming a quadriplegic, subsequent rehabilitation and the work she does now to educate young people.
Event coordinator, Damian Collins shares ‘We started these awards 5 years ago in response to a lot of the negative commentary on youth that we sometimes hear. We’ve been working with young people for over 40 years and see every day how hard they try and how much support they offer – so we wanted to create a platform to celebrate that. The Northwest community has rallied behind us and the event continues to grow every year!’
Category Winners:
The Great Mate – Harrison Fawkner of Latrobe
The High Five – Mateya Gregson of Somerset
The Quiet Achiever – Laylah Griffiths of Mount Hicks
The Big Heart Award – Finlay Stubbs of Wynyard
