Believe in me awards

Press release - 12 July 2007

Lucy Green, a teacher at the Grove School, Market Drayton is one of the 20 national winners of the Believe in Me Awards. This national award recognises those individuals who have gone the ‘extra mile’ to make a difference for young people. This is the only UK award that lets the children and young people themselves nominate those people who make a real difference in their lives.

The young person who nominated Lucy wanted to thank her for all the help and support she provided through a very difficult time in her life.

Ann Hartley, Shropshire County Council’s Portfolio holder for Children’s Service said: “We are really proud that Lucy Green has won this award. It’s only by listening to children and young people’s views that we can create services that truly reflect the needs of children in Shropshire, and inspire more people to get involved and become the type of foster carer, social workers, teachers, leaving care worker and other professionals that these children and young people value."

The Believe in Me Awards take place at the Underglobe at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, on Thursday 12 July 2007. The event will be compered by BBC newscaster Emily Maitlis and attended by celebrities such as television presenter Melinda Messenger. The winners will receive their Awards from the children and young people who nominated them.

The Believe in Me Awards are run by the Who Cares? Trust in partnership with sponsors, The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), Biking for Children in Care and OLM.

Susanna Cheal OBE, Chief Executive, The Who Cares? Trust said: “We want to congratulate the 20 national winners, and the children and young people who nominated them. It’s wonderful to know that there are people out there who are prepared to go the ‘extra mile’ to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people growing up in residential and foster care. “

ENDS

Further information
More information can be found at www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk by visiting the Believe in Me Awards section.

Believe in Me 2007 is the only national award celebrating the contribution made by people who go that ‘extra mile’ for children and young people living in foster or residential care. The Award was launched in 2005, originally by The Who Cares? Trust with DfES and is organised in 2007 by the Who Cares? Trust in association with new sponsors. This is the second award ceremony. For details of the national event please contact Henrietta Bond on 01992 700581 or 07976 658345 or email Believeinme@henriettabond.com

The Who Cares? Trust was set up in 1992 to improve the delivery of public care and the daily lives of 60,000 children and young people in residential and foster care in the UK, through promoting and acting on their views and experiences. 2007 is the Trust’s 15th anniversary. As an independent national charity, The Who Cares? Trust works with central government and with local authorities throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and with national and local children and young people’s care organisations. All work is underpinned by child-centred guiding principles.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) aims to improve the experiences of social care service users by advancing and promoting knowledge about good practice. SCIE’s resources bring together policy and research with the opinions of practitioners, service users and carers. SCIE is a registered charity that works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It covers the whole of social care including services for adults, children and families, stakeholder participation, people management, social work education, e-learning and the use of knowledge in social care. For more information visit www.scie.org.uk

Biking for Children in Care (BfCiC) has been running bike rides since 2002 and has so far raised £157,320 for the Who Cares? Trust. Using the support of volunteers, and donated time, fuel and vehicles. BfCiC organises an annual cycling challenge. For this year’s ride 55 cyclists will bike 220 miles along the Trans Pennine Trail from Southport to Hornsea and they hope to raise over £30,000 for the Who Cares? Trust. Biking for Children in Care also raises funds for other child related causes in separate one day events e.g. the Tsunami appeal and for children living in institutions in Bulgaria.

OLM is the UK’s largest company dedicated to providing local authorities with citizen centered solutions for practitioners in children’s and adults services. OLM solutions are currently used by 87 local authorities across the UK. CareFirst, OLM’s flagship product is used by social services in a third of councils throughout the UK, supporting over 35% of the UK population.