The 2024 ceremony was hosted at our London Road Campus, seeing over 50 students recognised for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to overcoming obstacles and helping their communities.
This year saw four individual awards presented to students, the Telford Young Winner, Telford Senior Winner, Shropshire Young Winner, and Shropshire Senior Winner as well as the traditional two winner's shields.
The overall Shropshire prize went this year to Cameron King of Shropshire Army Cadet Force, who also scooped the senior award for Shropshire.
Cameron’s award recognised his work to help and support younger members of the cadets.
The overall Telford prize was awarded to Jordan Lee-Haldron, of Telford College, who was also named senior winner for the Telford & Wrekin borough.
Jordan received the award for community work in the Lawley area of Telford, including taking on the role of Mawley Mole, the area’s mascot.
The Shropshire young winner was Callen Gill, from Bitterley Primary School while Matilda Cannon from Sheriffhales Primary School was named young winner for Telford & Wrekin.
Callen received his award for his fundraising efforts, including swimming 26 miles to raise more than £1,000 for his local swimming baths, whilst Matilda was honoured for donating her hair to the Little Princess Trust.
SCG were extremely proud to have eight nominees this year, with Paige Wilkinson, Ellie Yeomans, Sophie Grindley, Archie Holland, Jasmine Botwood, Sam Poole, Rhyanna Good, and Nadia Bansal being nominated for their exceptional actions. You can read their inspiring reaons for nomination at the bottom of the article.
Mandy Thorn MBE, the High Sheriff for Shropshire and Telford, commented on the outstanding contribution made this year:
“These awards show just what a fantastic and invaluable contribution our young people continue to make to life in Shropshire.
“We were delighted to receive so many nominations – all of whom receive a certificate – and the sheer range and scale of the effort they make is a real testament to both them and their peers.
“Shropshire can be rightly proud of each and every one of them. I most certainly am and am delighted that my office can honour them in this way.
“I also want to thank all the families, teachers, volunteers and community leaders who have nominated youngsters so that their amazing contribution can be recognised.”
The evening was attended by over 250 people, who all contributed to a special night for the young people of Shropshire.
Shrewsbury Colleges Group would like to thank and personally congratulate all winners and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
Below are all the nominees from SCG and their stories:
Paige Wilkinson, 17, and Ellie Yeomans, 18 - On a cold January morning at the London Road campus, Paige and her friend Ellie were enjoying their morning break when they encountered a distressing situation. A fellow student nearby suffered a severe seizure, requiring urgent assistance. Without hesitation, Paige and Ellie sprung into action, exemplifying remarkable courage and compassion.
Paige immediately assessed the situation and took decisive action to ensure the safety and well-being of the student in distress. She swiftly approached the casualty, prioritising her safety by protecting her head and providing comfort by placing her own coat underneath her head during the seizure which subsequently became covered in vomit. Paige's calm demeaner amidst the alarming circumstances was commendable, reflecting her remarkable composure and presence of mind in a crisis.
Recognising the need for urgent assistance, Ellie promptly took the initiative to seek help, understanding the critical importance of timely intervention. Her decisive action in raising the alarm enabled the swift arrival of support, facilitating the provision of essential medical aid to the distressed student.
Furthermore, upon returning to the scene with assistance, Ellie seamlessly transitioned into a role of support for Paige, her friend. Together, ensuring the safety and comfort of the student in distress. Ellie's unwavering commitment to assisting Paige in managing the situation underscores her profound sense of compassion for those in need. (Nomination by Ted Coxon)
Sophie Grindley, 17, and Archie Holland, 18 - Sophie Grindley and her friend Archie Holland went out of their way to be good citizens by stopping to assist a member of the public who was in need of help following a nasty fall whilst out and about in Shrewsbury.
The lady who had fallen and whom Sophie and Archie had come to the aid of, later contacted the College to express her gratitude for the kindness and compassion shown by Sophie and Archie, writing:
"I would like to express my thanks to two of your students, a young man and young woman respectively, who stopped to help me on Friday lunchtime as I was crossing the English Bridge and was unfortunate enough to encounter an uneven slab which sent me flying face downwards on to the ground. They immediately stopped and offered to help me up, refusing to leave until I was safely back on my feet and they were assured that I was in a safe state to continue. I did thank these two young people at the time, but felt that I should bring their kindness to your attention.
"They are indeed a credit to their families, the Shrewsbury Colleges Group and themselves." (Nomination by Victoria Dorey)
Jasmine Botwood, 18 - Jasmine lead a breast cancer awareness campaign at London Road where she actively spoke to students about the symptoms of breast cancer and where to go for advice. Jasmine also went into staff rooms to discuss the issue with staff. Alongside this, she also went into areas of the college where the majority of students were male to raise awareness that males can get breast cancer too. This was a somewhat difficult subject to bring up, but vitally important for it to be highlighted in college. (Nomination by Dan Blasczyk)
Sam Poole, 17 - Recently Sam chose to volunteer at Oxfam in Shrewsbury. He decided to volunteer at Oxfam because it was an opportunity to make good use of his Friday mornings as he gets into college a few hours before his lesson at 1pm.
I asked Sam why he chose Oxfam, he said:
"What is good about Oxfam- at Oxfam it is a great opportunity to help contribute to the community. This also is great to improve my CV credentials for my future career as I want to go into marketing. I think other students should take an opportunity if they have it of using their time to volunteer as it helps improve their CV, get valuable experience in the workplace and you can gain skills which previously may not have been there before."
He wanted to give back to the community through a charity he thinks highly of, and is doing so through Oxfam. (Nomination by Dan Blasczyk)
Rhyanna Good, 17 - Rhyanna took a lead on a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign earlier in the academic year, actively going into the Construction Centre with the Student Engagement Coach, raising awareness that males can get breast cancer too. She engaged with a substantial amount of male students and staff to point out symptoms and signs. (Nomination by Dan Blasczyk)
Nadia Bansal, 16 - Nadia Bansal actively went around our student hub promoting the #HellowYellow campaign in our student hub to raise awareness of mental health services, as well as helping with our awareness stand. (Nomination by Dan Blasczyk)