A young pro-footballer in the making and a monster model-making young entrepreneur are amongst the recipients of this year’s prestigious Youth Buzz Awards in Manchester.
The annual awards see young people in Manchester recognised for their stand-out achievements that help make a positive difference to them, their communities, or their peers.
This year’s awards saw nominations made across ten different categories with winners decided by a judging panel of young people from Manchester Youth Council and Manchester’s MYPs – members of the UK Youth Parliament.
The names of the winners were revealed at a glittering city centre awards ceremony attended by all of the young finalists and their guests, as well as the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Paul Andrews and Councillor Julie Edwards, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People.
Winners included professional footballer in the making 16-year-old Hannah Stengert from Openshaw who won the Outstanding Achievement Award.
Hannah began her football career with Manchester City’s Under-8 Team and has steadily progressed through the ranks, now playing for Manchester City Under 19s, despite being only 16 years old. She has also played international matches against teams from Greece, Norway and Wales and has been selected to attend training camps with the Under 17 England team in preparation for the Euro’s later this year.
Outside of football Hannah also regularly volunteers at her mum’s cafe with the local group of older people who go along there and spends time in school as a Senior Prefect helping students who are struggling with their homework, as well as helping out at the school’s pre-loved uniform sales.
Other winners included 21-year-old Maame Addo from Moss Side who was recognised with the Making a Difference Award for the difference she makes to young people at Moss Side Powerhouse, where she has become a role model for others with her perseverance in everything she does.
The Young Entrepreneur Award went to John Millington-Young aged 17 from Wythenshawe who has set up ‘Monster Creations’ that sees him using his skills in Lego building and creating new things to make unique one-off monster creations that he sells locally to others.
Winner of the Youth Project of the Year Award was Wythenshawe Community Housing Group’s Youth Team. Together the team members have been involved in a wide range of projects in the Wythenshawe area to help improve the lives of people living in the local community. This has included a Keeping Women and Young Girls Safe Project, a Bike Safety initiative promoting responsible cycling, and a Fishing Project that uses fishing as a way to help teach wildlife conservation and environmental responsibility.
This year’s Youth Voice Project or Campaign of the Year went to the Proud Trust Youth Group who are all passionate LGBTQ+ advocates. After raising their concerns about issues such as discrimination, mental health challenges and the need for comprehensive legal protections, particularly for trans and non-binary people, they travelled with their youth workers to hand deliver letters in to 10 Downing Street, where they were invited in to meet with MP Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to discuss the issues they’d raised in their letters.
This year’s awards ceremony also provided a platform for some of the city’s best up and coming young musicians to show off their talents during the awards evening, with outstanding performances from all of them.
The annual awards are organised by Manchester Youth Council, supported by the city council’s Youth, Play and Participation Service, and are sponsored by a number of local businesses and organisations.
Oscar Brooker, national Youth Parliament member for Manchester, said: “The Youth Buzz Awards are a way for young people from across the city to be recognised and celebrated for all their amazing achievements and successes.”
Full list of award categories and winners:
Youth Project of the Year – WCHG Youth Team
Young Entrepreneur – John Millington-Young
Making a Difference – Maame Addo
Young Carer – Ericka Banza
Young Leader – Bailey Fernandes
Climate Champion – Pippa England
Well-being – Rachel Egan
Championing Inclusion – Humzah Rangrez
Youth Voice Project – The Proud Trust Young People
Outstanding Achievement – Hannah Stengert
The awards to recognise the outstanding achievements of the city’s young people and the valuable contribution they make to their communities and to city life come as Manchester works towards being recognised by UNICEF as a Child Friendly City – a place where children and young people are valued, listened to, and actively encouraged to play a part in helping shape Manchester and its future.
Each of the individual award categories recognises one or more of the 54 articles contained in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, Manchester City Council, said: “We’re working hard to help make Manchester a Child Friendly City and these awards show just how much enterprise, talent and commitment to their peers and their communities that our young people have.
“The winners, together with every young person nominated for an award are all fantastic ambassadors for our city and we’re determined to take a lead from them and the city’s many other inspirational young people to help make Manchester the very best place it can be to grow up in.”
This year’s Youth Buzz Awards were sponsored by a number of local organisations and businesses including road construction company Thermal Road.
Find out more information about Manchester’s journey towards becoming a UNICEF recognised Child Friendly City.
