Bromley Rotary Club’s Youth Awards 2022-23

On Friday, January 27 about two hundred and fifty proud parents, relations and friends, local MPs, and teachers filled the auditorium at the Langley Park Performing Arts Centre to celebrate the achievements of thirty two young people who had each, in their own way, made a significant contribution to their community.

Too often nowadays young people get a bad press but Bromley Rotary Club’s show cased how pupils, aged 11 to 18, from ten Bromley Secondary schools have unselfishly given up their own time to make a real difference to their families, their communities and local and national charities. Bromley Mayor, Cllr Hannah Gray presented each winner with a certificate and gift voucher and declared that this was one of her most uplifting and joyful appointments of the year. This was the eighth year of the Bromley Rotary Clubs Youth Awards which has grown year on year from four participating schools to sixteen in 2022.

Winners had all done something special outside school: some, as young as 11, were caring for sick or disabled family members, others had raised considerable sums for charities or pitched in with local charities. Ethan regularly works in a local food bank and helps serve and distribute it. Millie and four colleagues work with adults on the autistic spectrum at a tree centre and on a gardening project. Abigail is a young carer for her disabled brother and has raised over £2000 for the charity that supports his condition. Sofie and her brother set up a small business to source and market environmentally friendly products.

The award winners section concluded with the first presentation of The Stuart Jack Trophy. This award commemorates one of the Bromley Rotarians who initiated the scheme and died last year. It goes to the award winner who, in the opinion of the judges, best embodies the scheme. This year it went to Abigail Jones from Harris Girls Academy Bromley.

The ceremony followed a presentation of cheques to local charities which had helped Bromley Rotary Club’s Sleigh Collection raise £14,000 just before Christmas. The Sleigh partners were: St Christopher’s Hospice, St Vincent De Paul Beckenham, the RNLI, the Maypole Project, 23rd Bromley Scout Group. Greener and Cleaner Bromley and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Award winners were: 
Israel Akinnuoye, Emmanuel Berkoh-Prince, Eleanore Boussie, Ruairi Carey, Ethan Chan, Millie Choi, Amelia Coombs-Organ, Zahraa Dhahi, Mali-Grace Doran, Lilly Egan, Ashanti Feurtado, Jasper Gee, Ayush Ghosh, Anaiya Greaves, Alex Hamblin, Millie Hatton, Abigail Jones, Eleanor Lovell, Dev Mehta, Talia Moore, Matthew Neal, Samuel Oredin, Tanvi Peddamallu, Sfie Petersen, Chardney Prata Neto, Bethan Pritchard, CXhloe Samuel, Jack Stone, Olivia Taylor, Megan Tomlin, Rocco Whitten, Sofia Wilson.They came from the following schools: Bromley High,Charles Darwin, Darrick Wood, Harris Academy Beckenham,Harris Girls Academy Bromley, Langley Park School for Boys, Farringtons, Buller’s Wood Girls, Buller’s Wood Boys and St. Olave’s Grammar School.

If you are interested in finding out more about Rotary (or The Youth Awards) please check our website at www.bromleyrotaryclub.org.uk or email Adrian@BromleyRotaryClub.org.uk. 

Details submitted by John Bruce, Bromley Rotary Club - john_bruce@ntlworld.com

Photos by Andrew Dunsmore, Picture Partnership.