Meet Young Citizens of the Year for 2020
YOUNG VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY WORKERS RECOGNISED IN AWARDS
YOUNG volunteers and community workers from Greater Manchester have been recognised with special awards. The Young Citizen of the Year awards were launched by the Queen’s High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, Eamonn O’Neal.
They aimed to celebrate kindness, thoughtfulness and actions that have made a difference to our communities during the past year.
The hundreds of nominations outlined voluntary activity or innovative work that has made a real impact during this difficult time.
Mr O’Neal, a former managing editor of the M.E.N., said: “Our young people play a huge role in making local communities safer and better places to live and I really wanted to recognise and celebrate their achievements. These exceptional youngsters, all aged between 11-18yrs, have demonstrated their commitment to social action and community engagement. The judges were so impressed with the quantity and quality of the nominations that we have chosen ten Young Citizen winners, one in each of Greater Manchester’s boroughs.”
Covid restrictions meant there could not be a formal presentation event. The individual awards, sponsored by Beaverbrooks and supported by the High Sheriff Police Trust were delivered to each winner’s home by the High Sheriff.
The ten winners are:
SALFORD: Benjamin Hardman
BEN is part of the YMCA Virtual Volunteers and has developed an impressive range of digital guide materials for people constrained at home during the Covid-19 lockdown. Materials developed include Mental Health support, using technology communication methods to keep in touch, and digital tools to keep busy helping to maintain a positive focus. His materials have now been distributed nationally.
MANCHESTER: Kea Bell
THROUGHOUT the pandemic, Kea has been involved in her community as a volunteer with the Caribbean & African Health network (CAHN), Life & Friendship Group Burnage (providing emotional support to people who have experienced loss) and sitting in on community board meetings as a young representative.
ROCHDALE: Libby Howarth
Libby has been a volunteer at The Lighthouse Project in Middleton since she was 11 years old. She has been instrumental in organising fundraising for this project and goes out of her way to offer essential help and services to families that are supported by the project.
WIGAN: Charli Tunstall
CHARLI discovered that her the local hospital was taking on Care Makers a new role to support people whilst in hospital.
She wanted to help in some way and before long she was in full PPE, supporting people who could not have visitors from their families and helping to deal with people in distress.
BOLTON: Jonathan Owen
JONATHAN was a Youth Member of Parliament and a member of Youth Voice.
He has also for been a member of Youth Focus North West.
He has led many campaigns and projects for the underrepresented groups in Bolton, including those who struggle with identity and mental health.
TAMESIDE: Owen Bridgeman
Owen has played a massive part in the delivery of The Arts to a local nursing home, The Lakes in Dukinfield.
He works alongside residents to use art and technology to enhance their lives.
Among many other activities, Owen has helped run the remembrance stall at Hyde
Town Hall for the last two years and has assisted in making things to sell and raise money for the Royal British Legion.
STOCKPORT: Ronan Murray
RONAN has been a Greater Manchester Voluntary Police Cadet within the Stockport Unit since 2019.
He throws himself into supporting a variety of activities to help engage and involve local communities across Stockport.
He uses his spare time and money to provide comfort to people who are homeless and learned sign language to help him communicate with some of the people he comes into contact with.
OLDHAM: Keira Arnold
Keira lost her dad when she was just four years old.
Now a teenager, she has since raised tens of thousands of pounds Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, where her dad was looked after.
Her sole aim is to help make special forevermemories for patients and those they leave behind. Keira has organised hugely successful virtual markets; shoppers and local small businesses making the most of the opportunity to support her and generate their own dwindling income.
BURY: Anisha Hussain
ANISHA volunteers with an organisation that looks after elderly people who are lonely and isolated. During the pandemic she has been delivering hot meals and food parcels each week and is supporting virtual sessions that deal with mental health issues.
TRAFFORD: Freya Gavin
OVER the years Freya has faced the most tremendous challenges, culminating in her losing her sight in 2019. However, she throws herself into school life is a Goalball UK athlete who has been recognised as having elite potential and is on the NGB talent pathway.
She is a volunteer for Challenge 4 Change, within which she clearly demonstrates her leadership skills. In September she qualified for a guide dog, Lennon, who is now a fully integrated member of Freya’s school.
A man stabbed his girlfriend to death before taking his own life in a ‘murdersuicide,’ an inquest heard.
The bodies of John-Lee Kirwin and Nichola Jayne Campbell were discovered in a bedsit in Harpurhey in December 2017.
An inquest at Manchester Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Kirwin, 32, stabbed Miss Campbell to death before taking an overdose of paracetamol on the morning of December 20.
Their bodies were discovered two days later, prompting a murder investigation.
The pair had been in an on-off, ‘volatile’ relationship since 2011 and had recently started seeing each other again.
Mr Kirwin had a history of mental health and drug abuse problems, and had previously tried to take his own life.
He lived at Step N Stones, an accommodation facility for men with learning difficulties and mental health problems on Beech Mount, Harpurhey.
Unbeknown to Niki Campbell’s family, she had been living with Mr Kirwin in his bedsit.
The night prior to their deaths, the couple had been seen having an argument about text messages on Miss Campbell’s mobile phone.
The manager of Step N Stones, Pauline Ferguson, saw them rowing in a nearby pub at around 1.30am on December 20.
When she saw Miss Campbell again at around 7am outside Mr Kirwin’s room, Miss Campbell said he was ‘going through her phone.’ GMP senior investigating officer Duncan Thorp told the inquest that Mr Kirwin had found messages to two other men on her mobile.
Analysis of Mr Kirwin’s phone showed that he had sent a number of screengrabs of messages to a friend. SIO Thorp told the court: “The clear inference is that he has seen these messages and they have upset him.
“He has then sent them to his friend.” Police believe that Mr Kirwin attacked and killed Miss Campbell at around 9am on December 20.
The bodies were discovered on December 22 when another resident tried to enter the room to fetch an iron. The door had been locked and was wedged shut from the inside.
SIO Thorp confirmed that the case was treated as a ‘murder-suicide.’
Forensic pathologists established that Miss Campbell had died of multiple stab wounds while Mr Kirwin initially appeared uninjured.
A post-mortem and toxicology report confirmed that paracetamol poisoning was the cause of his death.
Pathologists also found cocaine in Mr Kirwin’s system.
Zak Golombeck, area coroner for Manchester city, concluded that Mr Kirwin had died as a result of suicide.
Mr Golombeck said: “There was evidence that John-Lee Kirwin and Nichola Campbell had an argument and I find that upon returning on December 20, 2017, John-Lee Kirwin stabbed her and took his own life.
“I should add that the coroner in the inquest touching upon Nichola Campbell found that Nichola had been unlawfully killed.
“Either before or immediately following that act, John-Lee Kirwin sent a text message to his mother telling her that he loved her.
“Taking into account my findings, I return a conclusion of suicide.”
The clear inference is that he has seen these messages and they have upset him Senior investigating officer Duncan Thorp