Young heroes to be celebrated as awards recognise kindness and good work in the community

The Young Heroes Award, which has already seen great success in the Peterlee area, will be launched in Seaham next month, aiming to highlight the positive contributions to the community made by young people.

Headed by Police Community Support Officer Carole Hutton, of Seaham Neighbourhood Police Team, the project hopes to break a negative stereotype that tars many under-18s with the same brush.

PCSO Hutton said: “There’s a perception held by some that young people are only out to commit antisocial behaviour or to get involved in low-level crime, but that ignores some of the great work being done by the majority.

“As police, we get to see both sides of the story, and our hope is that the Young Heroes Award will highlight the positives, which I believe far outweigh the negatives.”

Police are seeking nominations for any under-18 who has made a positive contribution to the community, or who has made a random act of kindness.

Nominations can be sent via private message on the Seaham and Easington Police Facebook page.

Nominees must reside within the Seaham and Easington Police area, which also includes:*Murton*Easington Village and Easington Colliery*South Hetton*Haswell

Each month, a winner will be chosen and invited to Seaham police station to be presented with a certificate and Dalton Park gift card.

Dalton Park, local councillors and Seaham Town Council are all in support of the project.

The Young Heroes Award has been running in Peterlee throughout 2018, and at an awards evening at Shotton Hall earlier this year, ten inspirational youngsters were honoured for kindness, bravery and personal achievement.

Chief Inspector Lee Blakelock said of the evening: “We all know that bad news travel fast, but I wanted to highlight that there are unbelievable stories of everyday heroes all around us, and that those stories deserve to be told.”

To find out more, contact Seaham NPT via Facebook.