November 1, 2021
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Despite the pandemic, The British Citizen Youth Award continued to receive nominations from around the UK for young, inspirational members of the community who were making a difference. In a daunting and unprecedented year, these selfless young people continued to show kindness and a commitment to their community. 23 extraordinary young people have been honoured with The British Citizen Youth Award for the 2021 Roll of Honour.
Hosting the event was television presenter Anthea Turner who said “This group of British Citizen Youth Award medalists represented community leadership, tech for good, climate campaigns and social conscience. Having met them all, it made me more confident of the future than I have felt for some time. These are amazing young people who deserve this recognition and I hope others aspire to be like them
Fourteen year old, Ahoghill girl Taylor Ashe a cadet at Cullybackey Detachment, C Company, 1st (NI) Battalion ACF and a student at Dunclug College, has been presented with the Medal of Honour at the Palace of Westminster from Tom Redman, Big Bus London. The British Citizen Youth Award in association with Specsavers is now in its fifth year and recognises exceptional under 18’s who have positively impacted their communities through the county.
For the last two years, Taylor has collected ring pulls for prosthetic limbs for ex-service men and women, undertaking activities such as local litter picks. In addition to this Taylor distributes food parcels and has involved herself heavily in various online celebrations for VE Day and Remembrance Day.
Taylor also helped to research a local War Hero and took part in poppy laying and poppy posters. She also set up her own project sewing scrubs for staff at local care homes which were gratefully received during the pandemic.
Since starting on the litter picks, Taylor contacted her local councillor and arranged community litter picks and collection points, her commitment has helped keep the village tidy and safe and Taylor has earned a John Muir Environmental Award.
Taylor is dedicated to helping the community whether on her own or as part of a team. When the Cullybackey Community Partnership needed help with food distribution to those that were vulnerable, Taylor door knocked and delivered goods to families as well as running errands. The food distribution made a big impact to the community improving the well-being of the village’s vulnerable residents. Taylor is always fully engaged in any volunteering project she undertakes.
Dame Mary Perkins, Patron of the BCA said: “The British Citizen Youth Award recipients are very special individuals. These young people all go above and beyond for others with selfless acts of kindness and community spirit with no thought or expectation of praise or reward. These awards are a great opportunity to shine a light on what they do and give them the recognition they so thoroughly deserve. They are the nation’s true unsung heroes and the rising stars of the future.”
Each Medal of Honour bears the words ‘For the Good of the Country’ and are presented to only a small number of exceptional young individuals annually. The British Citizen Youth Award is widely viewed as the nation’s way of recognising extraordinary, everyday young people for exceptional endeavor and are truly representative of today’s multicultural Britain.
The Army Cadet Force would like to thank the Irish Guards (of whom Cullybackey Detachment is capped badged) for providing changing facilities, refreshments and even an escort for Taylor in the way of Drummer Adam Walsh and the IG Mascot Turlough Mor (Seamus) from Wellington Barracks to the Palace of Westminster.
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