It’s official! Nominations for the Bristol Young Heroes Awards 2020 are open and we are looking to unearth the latest band of young Bristolians who have overcome adversity and challenging circumstances to make a difference or achieve greatness.
To help inspire you, we’ve invited previous BYHA winners and nominees to share their stories and tell us how being nominated made a difference to them.
This is Catherine’s story…
What category of the Bristol Young Heroes Awards were you nominated for?
I was nominated as Environmental Hero for the Bristol Young Heroes award.
What did it mean to you being nominated?
Being nominated for the award showed me that the things I do mean a lot to other people and that I can (and do) make a difference despite my age. It also made me feel deeply appreciated which has been instrumental in boosting my self confidence. It was also a pleasure to meet the sponsors of the event; thanks to them, I had the opportunity to to complete my dream work experience placement, have a wonderful day out at Harry Potter World and attend many helpful seminars and workshops throughout the city.
How has being nominated changed you?
Hearing about all of the amazing things other young people were achieving across the city was so inspirational. I hadn’t thought of the things I was doing as at all remarkable until I won the award, but winning the award gave me a sense of self belief I hadn’t felt the like of before. I realise that I can achieve anything I put my mind to despite the challenges I face. Adversity doesn’t have to stop me.
“I hadn’t thought of the things I was doing as at all remarkable until I won the award, but winning the award gave me a sense of self belief I hadn’t felt the like of before. I realise that I can achieve anything I put my mind to despite the challenges I face. Adversity doesn’t have to stop me..”
What was it like attending the BYHA Awards event?
Attending the awards was an honestly inspiring event to behold! The people that you meet and the amazing passionate stories that you hear stump you. Winning the award was an incredible moment. I sat at the ceremony listening to peoples stories, talking to the other nominees and was in awe of each and every one of them. We’re all heroes as far as I’m concerned.
What would you say to anyone thinking of nominating a young person?
What I would say to someone thinking of nominating, just do it. because the event isn’t about the winning it is about the stories and the differences and struggles overcome by the special people that really do deserve to be celebrated. Just being told that my nominator had put my name forward made me feel truly appreciated.