The search is on to find and reward inspiring young people who have achieved great things in Norfolk and Suffolk, and help them further their dreams and ambitions.
The Bernard Matthews Youth Awards, in association with Eastern Daily Press, is back for a sixth year and from today people can be nominated for one of the 2014 awards.
This year there are seven categories for young people and each one has a £1,000 prize. The categories are food and farming, sport, community, charity, bravery, arts and education, and they are all open to 11 to 18-year-olds living in Norfolk and Suffolk.
There is also a special Hero Award which gives young people the opportunity to recognise an adult who in their eyes is a real young people's champion, and the prize for this award is a Hero trophy.
The ultimate winners of the 2014 awards will be revealed in a celebratory awards ceremony, just like our 2013 award winners enjoyed, on October 28 at Open, in Norwich, and the event will feature entertainment by young performers from youth arts centre The Garage.
Andrew Sherwood, HR director at Bernard Matthews, said: 'Once again the hunt is on for inspirational young people across Norfolk and Suffolk who deserve to be awarded for the impact they make within our communities.
'Over the past five years we have given away just under £50,000 to further the dreams, goals and ambitions of 11-18 year olds.
'The importance of recognising and rewarding the impact young people make within our region is the central aim behind these awards and one we are rightly proud of supporting.
'We have been amazed by the hundreds of nominations we have received since we created the awards and anticipate that this year will be equally as exciting and in many instances, humbling.'
EDP editor Nigel Pickover said: 'The awards are a great part of our Norfolk and Suffolk story and we are proud to support them. We wish every young person who enters or is nominated the best of luck.'
The Bernard Matthews Youth Awards, in association with Eastern Daily Press, are supported by Open, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and The Garage.
• Entries for the Bernard Matthews Youth Awards 2014 open at 9am today. Young people aged 11 to 18 from Norfolk or Suffolk can either enter themselves or be nominated by somebody else. The awards are all open to both individuals and groups. The closing date for entries - including the nominations by young people for the Hero award for adults - is Friday, August 22 at 5pm.
• For more information on entering the awards visit www.bmyouthawards.com, call 01603 706566 or follow @bmyouthawards on Twitter.
The Bernard Matthews Youth Awards 2014 categories
• Food and Farming
This award is designed to recognise an outstanding contribution by an individual or group to the agricultural and/or local food community. This may include, cooking, growing or selling food or promoting a healthy diet. The judges are also looking for unique or interesting agricultural projects, or the day-to-day delivery of agricultural excellence.
• Sport
This award is for an individual, partnership or team who has achieved something outstanding in their chosen sport.
The judging will take into account the nature of the achievement, any challenging circumstances and any comparison between their peers' achievements.
• Community
This award recognises an individual or group who have gone out of their way to contribute to their community through voluntary work. This might include supporting youth groups, working on community projects, environmental issues or developing and supporting local community initiatives via volunteering.
• Charity
This award recognises an individual or group who have delivered an outstanding level of charity work in Norfolk and Suffolk. This may be through a single act, on-going support, or a series of activities for a range of different charities.
• Arts
This recognises out-standing achievement in an artistic field, which may include for example music, art, design, theatre and dance. The winner will need to demonstrate the creativity and uniqueness of their achievement.
• Bravery
The bravery award will be given to an individual or small group who has shown great strength and courage.
This may include either a single act of selfless bravery or personally facing a challenging situation. Judges will look at how entrants have coped with their situation and the impact their bravery has had on their own and other people's lives.
• Education
This award recognises an individual or group who have demonstrated outstanding levels of learning in relation to their personal circumstances. Judges will not simply be looking for the 'highest grades' but would also like to see examples of what makes entrants' learning achievements outstanding in comparison to their peers or personal circumstances.
• Hero
Young people also have the chance to nominate an adult for the BMYA Hero award.
Judges will be looking at the lasting impact this adult has had on young people. There is no cash award for this category, simply recognition and thanks for being so influential and inspiring.
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