This article was written by Community of Purpose CIC

The Bristol Young Heroes Awards 2023 nominations will open on Wednesday 1st February – with a new awards category this year of ‘Fundraising Hero’ introduced to recognise the hard work and dedication to raise money and make a noticeable difference for local communities, charities, and other organisations.

The Bristol Young Hero Awards are celebrating 10 years of young Bristolians doing great things in the community. This exciting initiative recognises the valuable contribution that Bristol’s young people (aged 11-19) make to the city – particularly those who have overcome difficult circumstances, made a difference in the lives of others, or achieved great things. Nominations for the highly sought-after awards are open until 15th March.

Last year’s awards ceremony had to take place virtually as a result of the pandemic, having been delayed by several months in the hope of being able to do them in real life. In the end, the virtual ceremony was watched by six thousand viewers, opening them up to a much broader audience than the several hundred that usually attend them. This year’s awards ceremony will return as a live streamed event.

A panel of judges will decide on the winners ahead of the awards ceremony, which takes place at Bristol Harbour Hotel on Friday 7th July. There are eleven categories in which people can nominate young people, including the ‘Team of Heroes Award’ this is a group or organisation which has shown exceptional team skills and dedication to benefiting young people in Bristol. In addition, there is also the overall Hero award, chosen from the category winners, and the High Sheriff’s Award, which is given to an individual who has shown considerable dedication to the service of young people.

The Bristol Young Heroes Awards, which are now entering their tenth year, were originally set up by the Mayor of Bristol to help showcase and celebrate young people who have overcome adversity to achieve greatness or gone above and beyond to make a positive difference in their community. For the last seven years, they have been run by Community of Purpose, a charitable organisation dedicated to raising the aspirations of young people across the city.

Amy Kington, CEO of Community of Purpose, said:

“The achievements of these young people are truly inspirational, and the awards are a wonderful way of recognising and rewarding those making positive changes to themselves and their communities. The global pandemic called on us to work harder and smarter than ever and it’s amazing that we can celebrate some of the many young people across the city who rose to the occasion, who often don’t get that recognition. “Every year these awards get better we are aiming for these to be the best ones yet, so make sure you get those nominations in!”

Three nominees from each category will attend the event as guests of honour with the winning young heroes announced on the night being presented with a trophy to commemorate their achievement.