Young heroes to be honoured at awards night

Inspirational young people will be honoured at an awards evening next week.
Inspector Lee Blakelock, of Peterlee Neighbourhood Policing Team.Inspector Lee Blakelock, of Peterlee Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Inspector Lee Blakelock, of Peterlee Neighbourhood Policing Team.

The Young Heroes Awards will highlight the positive contribution made by under 18s to the Peterlee community.

Their remarkable stories of random acts of kindness, bravery and personal achievement will be revealed at a ceremony to be held at Shotton Hall on Friday, May 11.

Durham Police's Deputy Chief Constable Jo Farrell.Durham Police's Deputy Chief Constable Jo Farrell.
Durham Police's Deputy Chief Constable Jo Farrell.
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Ten young people will be honoured at the awards, staged as a joint initiative between Durham Constabulary, Durham County Council and Peterlee Town Council.

Nominees include a primary school pupil who helped in the aftermath of a car crash outside of her school and teenagers who tended to an elderly woman after a fall at the bus station, as well as others who have raised money for charity.

Inspector Lee Blakelock, of Peterlee Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I wanted this awards night to represent the kind and brave things that young people do in this community on a daily basis. The things that people don’t hear about.

“We all know that bad news travel fast, but I want to highlight that there are unbelievable stories of everyday heroes all around us and those stories deserve to be told.

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"This awards night is for those young people that I and the community are extremely proud of.”

The ten youngsters being honoured with awards will each receive a certificate and gift voucher, to be presented by a guest on the night.

Scott Meikle, of Peterlee Town Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to be recognised for the good they do.

"We’ve got really good kids out there and they can sometimes be forgotten.

"It is great that we are honouring these young people.”

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Coun Olwyn Gunn, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “Teenagers are often given unwarranted bad publicity so it’s always great to be part of something which both recognises their good work and rewards them for it.

“We’d like to commend these young people for the contribution they’ve made to life in Peterlee through their various actions.”

The launch event will be attended by representatives from Durham Constabulary, Durham County Council, Peterlee Town Council and the Peterlee community.

Police cadets will open the event with a parade, followed by a welcome from Durham’s Deputy Chief Constable Jo Farrell.

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Throughout the evening, officers – including stars from Channel 5’s ‘Police Interceptors’ – will be on hand to chat and answer questions with members of the audience.

A chart-topping celebrity, whose name will remain secret until the night, will also be sending their best wishes by video, hoping their own success stories will inspire others.

As well as the presentations, the evening will include music performances, community speeches and crime-prevention stalls.