Guest post sent from Youthscape – a quality resource and research organisation dedicated to “working for the good of young people of all faiths and none.” Check them out at www.youthscape.co.uk
Youthscape launched the Christian Youth Work Awards in 2011 and recently opened nominations for the sixth year running.
The awards are intended to celebrate the very best of Christian youth work in churches and organisations across the UK, inviting nominations across six categories.
They also seek to encourage youth workers everywhere by sharing stories of the great things youth workers are doing and inspiring others to do the same. One of last year’s shortlisted nominees confirmed for us just how important it is to recognise and encourage our youth workers, saying,
“I have been involved in youth work for 15 years now, in many guises. I came back from the summer feeling pretty close to burnout and receiving the nomination and then hearing that I had been shortlisted, was an amazing boost and exactly what I needed.”
2015’s Youth Worker of the Year was Lee Kirkby from St Michael Le Belfry in York. Receiving the award, Lee thanked his wife and team, his church for their committed investment into youth work and said that he was “blown away by the honour shown to youth workers by the awards.”
Categories this year include Youth Worker of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Young Leader of the Year, Best Youth Work Resource, Best Youth Work Employer and Most Innovative Youth Work. All nominees receive a postcard to encourage them in their work and shortlisted candidates are invited to a prestigious award presentation event in November.
You can nominate someone for an award at youthworkawards.co.uk. Nominations close on 31st August 2016.
In 2016, we won ‘Most Inspiring Leadership Blog’ and in 2017 we won both ‘Most Inspiring Leadership Blog’ again, and ‘Multi-Author Blog of the Year.’ Youth Work Hacks has been nominated in these two categories again.
