Our #Inspiration2022 Awards were a celebration of the incredible contributions of young leaders and volunteers in their local communities.
Community organisations across our network were invited to nominate individuals who they felt deserved to be recognised for their extraordinary efforts over the past year.
At StreetGames, we’re committed to ensuring that young people from underserved communities can access a pathway to become volunteers and future community leaders. Our Doorstep Sport approach creates opportunities for young people to try new sports and activities, empowering them to go to new places, meet new people and develop their skills.
Our #Inspiration2022 NextGen Volunteer of the Year Award celebrated young volunteers who have put their all into personal development. From developing their skills to getting out of their comfort zone and growing their confidence, the nominations we received told the stories of young people from all across the country who had come an incredibly long way in a short space of time.
Our national winner Sami is a young volunteer with Reach Up Youth, based in Sheffield. After a challenging start in life, Sami lacked confidence and was struggling at school. Shy and quiet, he was often overlooked as being ‘ok’ and therefore struggled to access support. After being introduced to positive male role models who became his mentors, however, Sami flourished.
As well as passing his GCSEs with flying colours, Sami is now a dedicated volunteer in his community who is committed to helping others – coaching younger children and supporting them with their behaviour and communication skills, volunteering at the local community centre, and speaking out on issues around community safety in his local area. Having completed the Youth Mental Health First Aid course, he is also a passionate champion for mental wellbeing. Sami is a visible and well-loved figure in the local community.
Our London & South East regional winner Moshood has been volunteering during all his school holidays at his local sports club, Burgess Sports. He has developed from being a participant at their Fit and Fed camps, to now being a young ambassador and role model for those younger than him. Despite initially coming across as quiet and reserved, Moshood has pushed himself out of his comfort zone to become a confident young coach. He has recently taken part in StreetGames’ #NextGen youth leadership training, and has gained more qualifications to boost his confidence and skills. He was also a brilliant member of the StreetGames Summer Camp 2022 Young Advisor team, helping to design and deliver the event for over 400 young people. He is a natural leader, but not outspoken, and brings joy to everything he does and everyone he meets.
Our North West regional winner Tayyab is a young leader at Abraham Moss Warriors, a multicultural club focusing on sport and other activities for families in North Manchester. Having been a long-standing participant at the club, predominantly in the football team, Tayyab has recently taken part in the StreetGames ‘Doorstep Sport + Empowerment’ programme. Over the course of the programme, Tayyab has completed a remarkable 1000 volunteering hours in the space of 18 months, developing his skills by volunteering at sports sessions, supporting extra football matches, participating in the social action project to develop a local park, leading the club’s podcast, and more. Having initially struggled with big groups due to shyness, he is now an outgoing, reliable young volunteer. His club describe him as “a shining example of the impact the ‘Doorstep Sport + Empowerment’ programme can have upon a young person”.
Our South West regional winner Ryan started out attending Unity through Sport’s youth basketball sessions. Since then, he has grown in confidence and is now assisting the coaches with delivering the sessions, as well as supporting young players and helping them to build their own confidence. Unity through Sport are now looking to put Ryan through his level two coaching course to enable him to deliver the sessions independently. Ryan is a shining example of how sport can help a person overcome any fears, difficulties or personal limitations.
We are delighted to see the continuing positive effect of Doorstep Sport on young people’s personal development and look forward to bringing more opportunities to more young people as our network continues to grow. Congratulations again to all of our winners!
