Young Co-operator Awards launched to celebrate young people who have made a difference in their local community

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 21/06/2021

Amazing young people who have gone above and beyond for their local community during the last year are set to be celebrated as part of the first ever Young Co-operator Awards.

Central England Co-op is calling on all its customers, members, and colleagues to nominate the best of the best across 10 categories who have excelled in everything from caring for others to reducing the impact on the local environment.

All young people who live within Central England Co-op’s trading area, aged 0 to 17 are eligible: West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

The retailer is a member owned and community focused organisation, with a strong purpose to create a sustainable Society for all.  They want to encourage younger membership and in so doing give back to local communities who have lived through uncertain times during the pandemic. 

Winners will have the chance to become ambassadors who can work with the Co-op on exciting new community projects and products.

Hannah Gallimore, Corporate Responsibility Manager, said: “We want to boost the reputation of co-ops with a younger, switched on audience and make the idea of our ethics and business model relevant and authentic for young people starting out in life, so they may choose to set up their own co-operatives or social enterprises in the future. 

“We cannot wait to see first-hand some of the amazing achievements of young people across all the categories and see how they have been putting co-operation into action in their local communities.”

The awards will run from June until 2 August. A panel of judges will then assess the entries and the winners will be announced online in September.

The winners will all receive a trophy and prizes from a range that includes a scooter, tablet, earphones, digital voucher (for the likes of iTunes, Waterstones or Netflix), outdoor games and arts and crafts equipment, as well as a host of Co-op food hampers or vouchers.

The overall winner of the Young Co-operator of the Year will also receive a bike with all the extras needed to get out and about on two wheels.

To enter, all people have to do is visit www.centralengland.coop/youngcooperators, fill out the entry form or submit and email containing the following details: Name of child, Age, Address, Name of parent/guardian, Parent/guardian contact details (email address), Category/Categories you wish to enter, Reason/Evidence to support why your child is perfect for this award and an Image/video of the child for use in relation to the awards entry.

Notes to editors

A breakdown on the categories and how to enter can be found below:

• Young Volunteer of the Year*
  • This award recognises a dedicated young volunteer who has shown outstanding commitment to their local community and contributed energy, skills and time.
• Young Carer of the Year*
  • This award is aimed at someone who looks after a relative or loved one, putting another’s needs above their own
• Young Environmental Hero of the Year*
  • This award highlights young people’s environmental achievements and inspiring others to help make a difference
• Young Community Hero of the Year*
  • This award is aimed at finding someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the benefit of their local community
• Young Learner of the Year*
  • This category is for a young person who has exceeded academic expectations and achieved success in education
• Young Arts Hero of the Year*
  • This category is looking for someone who has accomplished something brilliant in the arts
• Young Mental Health Champion of the Year*
  • This award will highlight a young person who has shown leadership in his or her community in promoting mental health and/or mental illness awareness
• Young Charity Hero of the Year*
  • This will aim to reward a young person for inspirational charity work and/or fund-raising
• Little co-operator of the year – from 0 to 11
  • This award recognises children aged up to 11 who have shown courage and kindness beyond their age during the past year.
• Young Co-operator of the Year (Picked from all the other winners by the judging panel)*
  • This will be someone who goes to remarkable lengths to help others lead their best life

*Categories age range 11 to 17

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its over 7,800 colleagues serve customers across 400 plus trading sites in 16 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Its purpose is to inspire communities to create a sustainable Society for all.

It actively campaigns for the Government to increase sentencing for violent attacks on retail workers and works with FareShare Midlands and hundreds of food banks, generating enough food donations to create over 2.1 million meals for people in need.

The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter, while it is also fully committed to addressing the impact of climate change and is on track to be Carbon Neutral by 2030. 

It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £175,000 shared out between 116 good causes over the past 12 months.

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop