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.