 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
Usman Ali (Calderdale), Lewis Punter (Cambridgeshire), Uma Akther (Tower Hamlets), Johanna Pickering (Halton) and Becky Huda / Jack Taylor (Hillingdon) have been announced as latest winners of the prestigious MWH and UK Youth Parliament Awards. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Community and Engagement Award Winner: Jack Taylor / Becky Huda, MYPs for Hillingdon
Also nominated: Victoria Caswell (Norfolk), Molly Thomson (Rutland) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Press and Media Award Winner: Uma Akther, MYP for Tower Hamlets
Also nominated: Steph Wills (Lancashire) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Campaign Award Winner: Lewis Punter, MYP for Cambridgeshire
Also nominated: Lisa Caroll (Lincolnshire), Adam Lonsdale (East Riding of Yorkshire) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Supporter's Award Winner: Johanna Pickering (Halton)
Also nominated: Grant Hollis (North East), Tom Trevarthen (Peterborough) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rowe Award Winner: Usman Ali, MYP for Calderdale
Also nominated: James Bartle (Newcastle), Rebecca Musgrove (Durham) ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
 |
Jack and Becky helped to create ‘The Unity Project’, aimed at addressing issues around youth violence, community cohesion and the negative perception of young people in the media. During the project, they organised two events to celebrate different ethnic groups through music, dance, fashion, poetry and food. To date over 1000 young people have been involved in the project. As a result, young people in Hillingdon have a better understanding of each others’ cultures and what can be achieved when young people from different cultures work together towards common goals. 
Uma has worked with the media on a local, regional and national level to improve perceptions of young people. Locally, she worked with other young people to set up an online radio station focused on young people’s issues and has created a blog on the local young people’s website. Across London she has engaged with the press raising young people’s issues including lowering the voting age and open spaces for young people in urban areas. As the first female Bangladeshi MYP for Tower Hamlets, Uma has received press coverage internationally, from TV to the Bangladeshi Times.
For the past two years, Lewis has been campaigning to lower the cost of public transport for young people in Camrbidgeshire. Lewis has consulted with young people in his area and presented the findings to elected county council members. Lewis has promoted the campaign at events, in school and on social networking sites such as facebook and twitter. Lewis has also created a website, video and managed to get local press coverage for his work.
Over the past four years Johanna has been an active supporter of UK Youth Parliament members in Halton. She has represented the MYP and Deputy when they have been engaged in other appointments. She has carried out research into the needs of young people in Halton and she has worked with the MYP to ensure this research is listened to by policy and decision makers. Johanna was a founding member of Halton Youth Bank. Her volunteering has enabled over 2,000 young people to access funding and opportunities.
Usman single handedly organised an event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights. He also represented the UK in Geneva at the rights of the Child Convention in 2008. He has organised a large transport meeting with the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive to campaign for concessionary fares for young people. Usman has also worked hard with the NHS Trust for Kirklees and Calderdale to successfully argue for a Young People’s Board to act as a watchdog for standards. Usman has also worked consistently hard to gain the attendance of Rosie Winterton, our Regional Minister to attend and answer questions at two of our regional meetings this year. Usman is truly a worthy winner for the Andrew Rowe Award.
The awards are sponsored by the environmental engineering consultancy MWH. MWH is one of the world’s leading environmental and engineering companies specialising in water and managing the impacts of climate change. MWH is sponsoring the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) for the next three years because it believes its work addresses many issues key to industry and the future of the UK.