Young prove their worth

Seven young people from the Newark area were presented with gold Duke of Edinburgh’s awards at County Hall on Friday.

A total of 74 14-25-year-olds achieved gold, silver and bronze awards through the Newark Open Award Group, which meets at The Grove school, Balderton.

The gold award consists of four areas — service, skill, an expedition and a physical activity.

Entrants also have to complete a residential trip of at least four nights with people they do not know.

Nicholas Scott (25) of Bancroft Road, Newark, completed a course while studying at Sheffield University where he helped young people develop their IT skills.

Mr Scott runs his own computer repair and web design business, Stunic Solutions.

He has also set up a new website to help people undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh’s award through the Newark group.

The website can be found at www.newarkopendofe.co.uk.

Another gold award winner, Laura Tweddle (21) of Catkin Way, Balderton, ran an adventure scheme at King’s Mill Sailing Centre for disabled and disadvantaged children.

Joanna Hopkinson (25) of Manners Road, Balderton, completed a course working with the police in Epperstone.

She also worked in local schools as a volunteer with a reading scheme.

Hayley Britnell and her brother William, of North End, Farndon, used their links with the Scouts.

Hayley (23) attended a summer camp in Norfolk where she looked after younger girls, while William (21) went to an international camp in Walesby.

Daniel Hill (23) of Orchid Drive, Farndon, and Adam Hicks (20) of Main Street, Bathley, also went on Scout camps as part of their gold award.

Two other gold award winners, Gemma Martin (22) of Sandfield Way, Newark, and Emily Smith (19) of Main Street, Thorpe, were away at university.

Gemma taught in Sri Lanka for four months to count towards the award.

She went in 2005, soon after the Boxing Day tsunami had hit the country.

Emily, a medical student at Cambridge University, worked as a hospital volunteer.

The award support worker for Newark and Sherwood, Mr Mike Edlin, said they tried to look at what people had already done to see if that fitted with the award criteria.

He said the new website would help young people who were no longer tied to schools to complete the awards.

“When they leave school they can still keep doing it easily,” he said.

“Also, people who go to school elsewhere can’t always travel to the centre in the evening.”

The Newark Open Award Group meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7pm to 9.30pm.

Mr Edlin said a lot of those who had been through the award scheme were now helping at the centre.

Other award winners: Silver: Nick Britten, Jasmine Burgess, Adam Connell, Hannah Coe, Ben Combes, Andrew Cross, Amelia Coulby, Christina Hayes, Suzanne Hayes, Emma Hempsall, Victoria Hill, Laura Kackson, Laura Marsden, Matthew Marsden, Rebecca McEwan, Flo Myers, Joseph Norwak, Jennifer Peck, Joe Perkins, Kristy Savage, Leah Sellers, Emily Smith, Hannah Wainman.

Bronze: Jamie Barker, Alice Barks, Craig Barnfield, Nick Britten, Jasmine Burgess, Edmund Colley, Ben Combes, Amelia Coulby, Lauren Cowling, Charlotte Drewery, Jason Fletcher, Ryan Fletcher, Alice Foster, Sarah Fryer, Naomi Gabbitas, Holly Geeson, Christina Hayes, Suzanne Hayes, Emma Hempsall, Adam Hill, Janna Hinchliff, Lloyd Hopkinson, Charlotte Hudson, Laura Jackson, Laura Marsden, Katie McEwan, Rebecca McEwan, Flo Myers, Benn Pollard, Rebecca Pritchard, Bethany Saunders, Leah Sellers, William Shaw, Emily Smith, Jessica Smith, Kirsty Smith, Grant Tims, Sarah Turtle, Francesca Wohlers, Lyndsay Wood.