Your chance to enter youth awards

Will Sandcraft.

Norfolk teenager Will Sandcraft was honoured for his great educational success… and he went on to reach even greater heights.

The 18-year-old from Carbrooke, near Watton, won the education award at the Bernard Matthews Youth Awards 2009 and used his £1,000 prize money to buy special equipment for a research expedition exploring the Indian Himalayas.

Will was one of a number of young people whose achievements were celebrated at the final of the inaugural youth awards in February this year.

The awards, which are supported by the EDP, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the OPEN Youth Trust, are about highlighting exceptional young people from Norfolk and Suffolk in a range of categories. Now the search is on for a new set of young stars for the 2010 awards.

Will impressed the judges with his academic success in science. The former Wayland Community High School student, who at the time was studying for his A-levels at Prince Charles' former school, Gordonstoun School in Scotland, had earned three scientific scholarships, a BA Gold Crest Award for creativity in science and a British Physics Olympiad award all by the age of 17.

Will is now studying physics at Nottingham University and has secured a scholarship with The Ogden Trust for his four year course.

He used his youth awards prize money to buy specialist equipment for a mountaineering expedition to the remote wilderness of Ladakh in the summer which he described as an amazing experience and an incredible journey.

He was one of just 42 students from across the country to be chosen for the project organised by the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES). During the trip the group did research for medical and mountaineering organisations, carried out high altitude physiological studies and ecology fieldwork.

Will now hopes to train as a BSES expedition group leader and one of the places he would like to explore is the Amazon.

He said: “The Bernard Matthews team were really brilliant even after I won the award, finding suppliers for all the specific equipment I needed and liaising with them direct to make sure I had it all in time.

“In extreme conditions if you haven't got the right stuff you really know about it. My boots were so good I didn't even get a blister despite the fact that the walking and climbing was very challenging, and I'll hopefully be re-using the equipment for several years and future expeditions.”

He added: “The awards event was really good and I felt quite humble hearing what all the other award winners had done.

“The fact that someone else thinks what you've done is worth a pat on the back means a lot. Even if I hadn't won I would have been glad to be involved, and winning was just a huge bonus.”



There are eight categories in this year's Bernard Matthews Youth Awards including educational achievement.

The other categories are sporting achievement, community support, charity, cultural achievement, bravery, young farmer and environment.

The winner of each category will receive a £1,000 prize and the ultimate winner of winners will receive a further £1,000.

All of the categories are open to both teams and individuals from Norfolk or Suffolk. Entrants must be aged between 11 and 18 years old. They can either enter themselves or be nominated.

Entries can be made online or by downloading an entry form from the awards website and sending it to Bernard Matthews Youth awards, c/o Shorthose Russell Ltd, Burton Road Business Park, Burton Road, Norwich, NR6 6AS.

The closing date for nominations is Wednesday, December 16 and winners will be announced at the grand final at Open in Norwich on Tuesday, February 16 2010.

****For more information visit www.edp24.co.uk/youthawards or call Bernard Matthews Youth Awards on 01603 309095.