Young people, staff and volunteers from YMCAs across England and Wales are honoured every year for their outstanding achievements, inspiring feats against adversity and tireless dedication to provoke change.
Fourteen coveted awards are up for grabs across a series of diverse categories during an inspiring night of celebration and recognition in central London.
A central event in YMCA’s calendar since 2009, YMCA’s Youth Matters Awards celebrates the exceptional skills and achievements of young people over the past year. The awards also recognised the vital work YMCAs deliver day in day out to help transform the lives of young people and give them a brighter future.
To recognise this innovation and resilience, we want to acknowledge and celebrate a YMCA and an individual who has made a major impact in their community and gone above and beyond despite the circumstances. The two honorary awards in 2021 will be the COVID Community Impact Award and the COVID Community Hero Award.
The awards are judged by YMCA leaders, industry experts and young people.
Award categories are:
- Young Achiever of the Year
- Young Leader of the Year
- Young Volunteer of the Year
- Young Worker of the Year
- YMCA of the Year
- Accommodation Project of the Year
- Family Work Project of the Year
- Health & Wellbeing Project of the Year
- Training & Education Project of the Year
- Diversity Award
- We Believe Award
- Red Triangle Award
- COVID Community Impact Award
- COVID Community Hero Award
For further information, please email youthmatters@ymca.org.uk