Westbury’s young people honoured at awards ceremony

Young people and groups across the Westbury area were recognised and celebrated for their achievements at the annual Young People’s Awards, hosted by the Westbury Area Board at Matravers School.

All nominees of the Young People’s Awards were invited to the school for a special awards ceremony on Wednesday 14th June, where parents and sponsors were in attendance to find out who were the winners.

Nominees were presented with a certificate from Westbury and Warminster’s community engagement manager, Graeme Morrison, who compered the evening. Each sponsor revealed the winner and presented them with a trophy.

The winners were: • Young achiever award joint winners:  Jamie Butcher from Westbury Cricket Club and Jessica Rumsby from Fairfield Farm College • Young arts group award: Infinity Dance • Young arts individual award: Khloe Fuller • School council award: Westbury Leigh school council •   Young sports team award: Westbury Youth FC under 8s • Young leader award: Emily Haines from Fairfield Farm College • Young carer award: Chloe Cruickshank • Young sports individual award: Charlotte Morrison and • Young environmental champion award: Lily Ormston.

For full details of the award winners, see page 10.

Closing the event, Westbury Area Board vice chair, cllr Gordon King said, “Thank you to everyone for coming to the event. Making a selection from amongst all of the nominations was a difficult task, perhaps the most difficult in all of the years we have been making the awards. Should you be a winner, nominee, performer or member of audience celebrating ferociously, you are all champions who have met and by far exceeded every expectation we may have had of you.

“It has been an absolute thrill meeting you, being entertained by you or blown away by your celebrations. It would be remiss of me not to thank the school for being such splendid hosts and organiser. We have enjoyed your hospitality and had great fun. I hope to see many of you again at this event, in this place again.”

Award winners:

• Young achiever award joint winners: Jamie Butcher for his involvement with the all-stars cricket programme at Westbury Cricket Club. Jamie has come a long way since he was first diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of five and is now a Westbury Cricket Club all-star, as well as being a source of inspiration for the Westbury Ladies Cricket team.

Jessica Rumsby also won the young achiever award for her engagement with PE at Fairfield Farm College and for inspiring fellow pupils to achieve their personal best. (Sponsored by White Horse News).

• Young arts group award: Infinity Dance for their passionate performances at carnivals and fetes across the southwest.
• Young arts individual award: Khloe Fuller for taking part in a range of drama, singing and dancing shows across the region and for organising a production which involves helping to write and train other children in these arts.
• School council award: Westbury Leigh school council for improving their school, including the ability to identify what needs to happen and how to implement ideas respectfully and courageously.
• Young sports team award: Westbury Youth FC under 8s for their outstanding performances on the pitch, as well as their involvement with Westbury United. (Sponsored by Gooding Accounts)
• Young leader award: Emily Haines from Fairfield Farm College for her role as sports leader at the college and for growing from strength to strength. (Sponsored by Connect Mortgages).
• Young carer award: Chloe Cruickshank for her role as carer for both her older and younger brothers. (Sponsored by 4Youth).
• Young sports individual award: Charlotte Morrison for representing Wiltshire in cricket, as well as her involvement with England and Wales Cricket Board’s first ever Women’s Pan-Disability Cricket and for coaching the juniors at Erlestoke Cricket Club. (Sponsored by Martin & Co).
• Young environmental champion award: Winner: Lily Ormston for being a leading member of the ethos council at her school and for writing an anti-incinerator letter which was published in the White Horse News. (Sponsored by Tarmac).