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Sports inclusivity champion honoured with the British Citizen Youth Award at the Palace of Westminster

The British Citizen Youth Award celebrates the individual endeavours of young people from across the UK who are positively impacting their communities, helping charities or undertaking exceptional activities in support of others.

Now in its ninth year, this year’s Award honoured 21 young people dedicated to making a difference – including Emilie Violet Allen, aged 15, from South Wales.

Emilie is a gymnast and coach at Valleys Gymnastics Academy (VGA), an active member of the StreetGames network in Wales. For the past three years, Emilie has devoted her holidays to delivering StreetGames-funded Fit and Fed sessions at VGA, as well as coaching during evenings and weekends. She is also a passionate advocate for disability in sport, competing as a partially deaf athlete with the World Championship-winning Team Wales Adaptive Abilities team.

Alongside her coaching and a busy training schedule, Emilie also volunteers for Gwent Police Cadets and is a devoted Caregiver to her disabled Mum.

She now plans to put the skills that she has gained from StreetGames training and her community volunteering in practice on a trip to Ghana in summer 2025 to teach skills to young children in a remote orphanage.

Emilie is a true inspiration to aspiring young athletes of all abilities, nurturing their ambition and putting their mental health and wellbeing first. She shows her community that anything is possible with the right support around you.

On 17th October, Emilie received her British Citizen Youth Award Medal of Honour at the official presentation ceremony at Westminster Palace. Alongside her medal, she is now able to use the post-nominals BCyA in recognition of her fantastic achievements and commitment to others.

Claire Lane, StreetGames National Director for Wales, said: “On behalf of everyone at StreetGames, I’d like to congratulate Emilie and say how proud we are of her achievements. We’re so pleased that her passion and fantastic contributions to her community have been recognised in this way, and are excited to see her continue to go from strength to strength in her next steps.”

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