Newport’s Ashley Pyke has been named as the 2010 Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteer of the Year for Wales and was praised by First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones for his outstanding contribution to delivering sport in his community.
The awards, now in their second year, recognise the outstanding work being carried out by young people involved in The Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteers initiative. The programme, which operates throughout Wales and England, was established by The Co-operative and youth sports development charity StreetGames, to help young people from disadvantaged areas gain sports coaching and community leadership skills by volunteering at their local neighbourhood sports project.
The volunteers, who joined Carwyn Jones for a special presentation at the Senedd, had all been nominated for the awards which look at a number of factors including skills and qualifications gained, general attitude, impact on other young people and their community, as well as their personal journey and achievements.
Ashley, aged 17, volunteers at the Newport Positive Futures project which delivers sport to young people throughout Newport.
Despite having a turbulent family history and arriving in Duffryn without knowing anyone, Ashley has become an integral figure in the community. As well as leading sports session for local young people, Ashley has also mentored other volunteers experiencing troubles, is involved with attracting funding to the project and has pushed himself to gain qualifications which have meant that the project has been able to extend the activities it offers. He has also gone on to use his new found skills and confidence to gain employment with a local ‘Soccer Tots’ programme for under six year olds.
First Minister, Carwyn Jones, said: “I’m pleased to be here today to recognise the achievements of these young people who provide an important and useful service to their local communities at the same time as gaining a wide range of skills which will stand them in good stead in the future.”
Michael Fairclough, Head of Communities and Campaigns at The Co-operative Group, remarked: “We’ve now had over a thousand young people volunteer with The Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteers programme and collectively, their achievements and contribution to their communities are outstanding.
“Ashley has shown real progress since joining the programme and has made a huge impact to the project. Ashley is a living, breathing example of what talented young people can achieve when afforded the opportunity. The skills and qualifications he has gained show his tenacity and dedication to lead from the front.”
Ashley said: “I can’t believe I’ve won the award for Wales. It’s a huge surprise and a real honour to be recognised for doing something I enjoy and will also be a great thing to take back to the project and show other young people what they too can achieve.”
As the winner for Wales, Ashley is now automatically eligible to win the overall title of Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteer of the Year 2010. He, and six other finalists from England, will find out at a ceremony taking place during National Volunteers Week (1-6th June).
