2014 Rotary Young Citizen Awards

parents to help pay for text books. All this week the BBC News Channel

has been shining the spotlight on young people. They are winners of

this year's Rotary Young Citizen Awards. Ellie Crisell is at

Birmingham's International Convention Centre, where the award

presentation is about to take place. Ellie, what's the atmosphere like?

It is very quiet and Yuri to be standing in and in an enormous cap a

stronger conference hall. The pressure is on. We are here at the

international conference centre. It is a special year for Rotary this

year. It is the 100th year of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland. It was

a setup in America 100 years ago by a lawyer, and the idea is that the

principles behind it is `` are principle `` is friendship.

There are more than 1.2 million members globally and more than 200

countries involved. In this country, 51,000 members. A huge

organisation and I am sure we have all heard of some of the charitable

work that Rotary has been involved in. One of the projects that Rotary

has organised is an awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of

exceptional young people in the community. These are either young

people who have perhaps overcome some personal adversity or have gone

out of their way to help others. This is called the RIBI Young

Citizen Awards. All week we have been highlighting the young people

who will be waiting to receive their awards. It is open to young people

from the ages of 12`25. Rotary clubs have been nominating for months

now. We have the short five winners of the it can either be an

individual or a group, and we have a mixture of both this year, and they

are waiting behind me. We are going to run the awards ceremony right

through, so you will see all of the young people receiving their

awards. We will be hearing their inspirational stories. I am going to

hand straight over now to the presenter, who is on stage ready to

tell us more. Thank you. Hello and welcome one and

all. It is fantastic to be here. We are here in Birmingham for Rotary's

Young Citizen Awards 2014, which is now in its eighth year. The awards

honour the extraordinary achievements of young people who

have all done something unique and something fantastic in society.

Rotary clubs across Britain and Ireland nominated youngsters for

these awards to stop the eventual winners are here with us today, and

over the next half an hour, you will see some truly inspirational young

people. To our first award. Our first award goes to Harvey Parry

from north London, nicknamed the Paralympic kid runner. When Harvey

was 15 months old, he had to have both his legs and part of his right

hand amputated, after contracting meningitis. The eight`year`old has

now become one of the most successful disabled athletes for his

age, winning 19 mostly gold medals for Britain. Harvey was nominated by

the Rotary Club of Edmonton. Jean Mackenzie saw Harvey in action.

Harvey, like most eight`year`old boys, enjoys putting the ball with

his friends, but Harvey is quite unlike his peers. He caught

meningitis when he was 15 months old and had to have both his legs

amputated. I had to make the decision to have his legs and had to

have both his legs amputated. I had to make the decision to have his

legs want to have the medicated because I was thinking of him being

a child and he would not be able to be but Harvey underwent intensive

rehabilitation and learned to walk, and it was not long before he had

ambitions to run. Aged three, he became the youngest child in the

world to be fitted with carbon fibre running blades, and took part in his

first race. I'd do it because I genuinely like doing sports and they

find it really fun. I'd like to race with my friends and stuff. If he did

not have the sport perhaps he would be a different boy today. The fact

that he can't be competitive `` that he can be competitive gives him the

edge for life. It is that edge that has one Harvey 19 medals in

competitions around America, taking him one of the most successful

disabled athletes his age. He does not just sit in the wheelchair

thinking he cannot do anything. He has learned to run, hop, skip and

jump and is an inspiration to us all. Harvey's next challenge is

learning to swim so he can compete in triathlons. He also hopes his

success can inspire others. In the future, have been I can help other

amputees be like me. I can actually help them go further than what they

are. Harvey also wants to go further. Does that mean the young

champion could one day be Paralympian `` be a Paralympian?

Absolutely fantastic and inspirational, and we are lucky

enough to have Harvey here with us today, along with his mother, he was

clutching his certificate. There you are. Eating as a demonstration. You

can feel free to have a seat and watch your boy in action as iChat to

him. Harvey, 19 medals, that is pretty amazing. How do you feel

about winning all those awards? Well, I'd don't actually know. I'd

just like racing with my friends, and defy when, Iwan. `` if eye when,

I win. He is very blase. I have just gotten 19 medals, it does nothing.

How do you feel about winning this award? Well, I am really proud,

because I have never actually one a certificate and a trophy. Only gold

medals! Where are you going to put these? Do you keep them in a special

place in your house? I will try to fit them in my then attend back. Not

in a Tracy cabinets? No. `` trophy cabinet. Tell us about the games you

have competed in. Well, I have been to America, and I'd go to race in

California and other places I've forgotten about. Including Oklahoma

and San Diego. Very impressive indeed. Harvey has also been

campaigning for the meningitis jab, which is going to actually be a

compulsory jab for young people, so that's deserves a round of applause

in itself. Congratulations to the fantastic Harvey Parry, a very well

deserved award. 38% of children who use the internet

have suffered some form of cyberbullying. That's according to

the NSPCC, who says the effects on victims can range from feelings of

isolation to suicide. Well, children at Eastlands primary school in Rugby

have earned their Young Citizen Award after embarking on a campaign

to tackle the issue. They were nominated by Rugby Saturday

Breakfast Rotary Club. Kevin Reide found out how the youngsters set

about getting across their message to others. This play shows the

traumatic effects of cyberbullying on an individual. I wanted to scream

and cry but I'd did not want anyone to know. The children play the

various roles in the courtroom as the case against else the

defendant. He is charged with cyberbullying, but at the crunch

moment, the real bully reveals himself. He didn't do it. Go on. It

was me. I'd did it. Every time my watch it it still sends a shiver

down my spine. It was scary to do it and it is still scary now. It shows

you what the consequences of bullying and cyberbullying can do.

The children have also devised this theatre production known as not such

a sweet treat. It is currently touring other schools in the area.

He keeps sending these? It could be anybody. After all, everybody hates

you. Everybody. Everybody! It was like being at the theatre, and it is

so important, internet safety, and nothing think the show displays a

clear message. It says the smart on the internet, because whoever you

are, there will be somebody wants to find out about you. Just amazing.

Perfect. I want to see it again. The positive feedback we are getting is

in relation that it is about children learning from other

children rather than adult performers. The children can put

their message across well to their peers. Then it is back to spreading

the word about internet safety. Ten of the pupils are here with us today

and I am going to talk to three of them. Lee Gregory who played the

role of a pirate Jack in the theatre production Not Such A Sweet Tweet.

And Siyanne Panchal who played the role of the witch in the theatre

production. How bad would you say the problem of cyberbullying is in

schools today? It can be really bad, because people do not really think

as much that people in primary schools don't really use the

internet as much, but they do, and they can get bullied him there, so

it is really bad sometimes. `` gets bullied in there. What would you say

is the message of the play? The message is basically saying that you

have got to be careful because you do not know who is out there and

what they want from you, because they could beat anyone, even if they

say you are a friend. And you were the bad guy, as we saw. How do you

think the film gets the message across about internet safety?

Because we are children and it is aimed at children, they can relate

to us quite well, and it also shows how well `` how far it can actually

go and how serious the actions can be. So they can think twice before

they act. Why do you think it is important to be smart with the

internet? It is important to be safe because you could be talking to

anyone and you could get in serious trouble. And you cannot see who you

are communicating with. How did the idea actually come about? When we

produced the film, there was a girl who had committed suicide because of

cyberbullying, so it made us think, well, we have got to do something

about this. Absolutely. That is very serious. Did you enjoy taking part

in the film? Yes, definitely. It was very fun. We had never been to a

court before. It is fantastic that you're tackling such a current

issue, and I'd think everyone should give a big round of applause

There are 45,000 young deaf people in the UK and our next award winners

says that is who she is campaigning for. She wants to meet each and

every one of them. 16`year`old Bethany is herself profoundly deaf

and wears a cochlear implant. She was nominated for the award by

Eggington Rotary club. I just love it. Although the music doesn't sound

perfect, I just love to dance, it is what moves in me. Bethany's talent

is remarkable. She may not be able to hear music perfectly, but that

has never stopped her wrist suing her dream. People say deaf people

cannot become pilots are trained drivers or anything, but I believe

we can achieve anything we want. Bethany has juggled her schoolwork

with being a national ambassador for deaf children. We created a

competition called Storm And We Got A Lot Of Signatures To A Beautician

And A Debate In Parliament, Which Was Very Successful. Her Headteacher

Was so impressed, he put together a special programme for her. We got

the community to come in and be involved, so it is not just what she

does in the school, it is also the outside community. While Bethany is

realising her dream, her ambition is to help many more teenagers do the

same. Fantastic work. Bethany is here with us on stage today.

Congratulations on this award. What does it mean to you? It means a lot

to me. It is phenomenal. It means a lot to other deaf young people as

well. Why are you campaigning for other deaf young people as well? I

believe everyone deserves a good round of life and you deserve a good

quality of life in school and at home. You are concerned about the

cuts that could be coming up. Tell us a bit about that. The change of

the disability living allowance and the grading of the personal

independence payment did not have scoring is for a lot of deaf young

people, it was more about can you communicate properly. Because I had

already passed those, and I can talk like a normal person, I can come

across not as a deaf person. So you have been on both sides of the fence

stop do you think the bullying spurred you want to do what you were

doing? Most definitely. Two different people. Previously, I

wasn't the person I am now and my self`esteem was low. When I moved to

minute school and I was with other people and fitted in well with them

and was accepted by who I was, I felt differently. And you want to

see that happen to other people. Ladies and gentlemen, we are very

happy for her and we hope she goes on to do great things.

The recipient of our next award is also a very remarkable young lady,

Lucy. When she was a tiled, Lucy was sexually abused by a family friend.

Now in her early 20s, she runs a charity in Dagenham which councils

and supports young victims of sexual abuse. Jean MacKenzie takes up her

story. There is more to this typical

looking charity shop than meets the eye. Behind all the clothes and old

books, Lucy and her mum run a counselling service for children who

have been sexually abused. Shelley set up the service ten years ago,

after learning her eight`year`old daughter had been repeatedly abused

by a friend of their family. Mum used to say to me that it wasn't a

dirty little secret, but you felt dirty and you felt the most

unbelievable amount of shame, because nobody else could

understand, because they hadn't experienced it. As she grew up, Lucy

realised her nightmare experience could be valuable to the children

her mother was helping and that she could support them through what she

had found the hardest time. Coming out with it and getting over it was

the worst part of it. When you could see what it was doing to everyone

else around you, that was when it became very difficult to manage.

Lucy decided to waive her right to anonymity and get involved with the

charity. She now meets with the children to talk about what happened

to her and to them. Shields up plans the therapy sessions and outings. It

took me a long time to come to terms with it, but I would stand outside

their and scream it at the top of my boys. I have nothing to be ashamed

of. The man who did it to me should be ashamed. That is what I want to

get through to the kids, that it does not rule your life. He

eventually get to a place where you can cope with it. It is not just her

wisdom that helps the children, it is also the vision of her now as a

happy, healthy young woman. That young woman joins us now.

Congratulations, Lucy. What does this award mean to you? It is very

difficult to put into words what this means. I have done this for

everyone who has been through what I have been through, so they feel one

day be can speak up themselves. It has been a very difficult journey

for you. Why is your work now so important? I think it is very

important to work on the myths that come with sexual abuse. People think

it is catching, people think if you live in a certain area, it will not

happen or if you are from a certain culture, it won't happen, but that

is not true. I just want to raise awareness. How difficult is it for

young people to get over this kind of thing? It is incredibly

difficult, because you feel guilty and ashamed. There is also emotional

abuse that goes along with it and your self`esteem can hit the law. It

is important people don't be like that, because they have nothing to

be ashamed of. `` it is important people don't feel like that.

Our final award goes to a group of students who successfully persuaded

the Irish Prime Minister to set up a National Missing Persons Day, and

have begun lobbying for a similar day Europe`wide. The Forget Me Not

campaign, which has the support of Kate McCann, the mother of missing

Madeleine, is the brainchild of students at Davis College in Mallow,

County Cork. The group were nominated by the Rotary Club of

Mallow. Jennie O'Sullivan found out about their campaign.

Trevor Daley was 21. The year was 2000 and he never made it home.

Forget me not to. Thanks to this group of teenagers, they are Forget

Me Not campaign has made sure Ireland's missing people will not be

forgotten. We use these silhouettes to get peoples attention and we use

on stage our campaign. This is Mary, a six`year`old identical twin from

Donegal. She is Ireland's youngest missing person. Our mother came down

to the school and she said, she couldn't believe people down south

cared so much about her little girl. We really wanted to do something

profound for the families of the missing. They certainly have.

Perhaps the most remarkable achievement is persuading the Prime

Minister to earmark a National Missing Persons Day, which was held

last year. That day was the most rewarding thing ever.

Unforgettable. This is three long years for the students you see

behind me and for years for the students who began the campaign, so

it is a wonderful moment to see change happening from work we have

done in the classroom. It has brought the classroom to life. And

on stage, we have for the 22 students who have campaigned three

years to have the SU of missing persons recognise. They are Chelsea,

Adrian, Jackie and Janice. Josie, you approached ministers and the

Prime Minister with your idea for a National Missing Persons Day in

Ireland. Why is the issue is so important to you? We were aware of

stories of missing people, such as Madeleine McCann, and we really

wanted to help. We wanted to create funds for continued searches, to

spread their message of change across Ireland and the rest of the

world and insist that our government create a National Missing Persons

Day. Fantastic. How did you get the message across? We developed a

strategy for Ireland, a poster campaign runs through Ireland's

ports and ferries, with contact details of missing persons or

organisations. They will be running for a government so on. Tell us,

Jackie, you discussed national change with Ireland's president

Andrew spoke at Ireland's first attempt to. How did that feel? It

has been a very empowering process, meeting with heads of government.

Receiving this award is an honour, but her greatest satisfaction has

come from meeting the families of the missing and knowing we have

helped them. You hosted the second missing persons remembrance

ceremony. How does a campaign help the families of missing people? The

campaign has given a voice to the families of the missing. Our

calendars for Forget Me Not where salt in Tesco nationwide and the

funds raised were used to fund a search for the teenager in Galway.

Amazing achievements on a large scale. Where do you go from here?

We're very optimistic that a European National Missing Persons

Day will be declared. Politicians and leaders in Ireland were

impressed and have taken it on board, so now we're waiting for a

phone call to hear of our future success. A fairly dynamic. Well

done. APPLAUSE we have seen perhaps the

people who will be running the country in the future.

I would like you to join with me in giving them a huge round of applause

we have seen perhaps the people who will be running the country in the

future. I would like you to join with me in giving them a huge round

of applause, while welcoming onstage the president, while welcoming

onstage the president of Rotary Great Britain and of Rotary Great

Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland.

A final word on you about the winners. `` from you. People are

picked within their communities by people who know they are doing a

terrific job. I would like to congratulate everyone of them,

because each one of them has faced stiff competition to get where they

are, and they have done fantastic jobs. Well done, everybody. Why is

it important to recognise these general models? We complain so much

about what the youngsters are doing, why don't we celebrate the

things they are doing right instead of saying they are all on drugs?

These are examples of what young people really are like. Definitely.

And the future of tomorrow. A huge congratulations to all of this

year's winners. IMSA that is it from me `` I am afraid that is it from me

here in Birmingham. I am sure you will all agree this has been very

aspirational and we have met some very incredible youngsters indeed.

`` very inspirational. If you are in parts of northern

England or Wales, threatening skies could bring a bit of rain at times.

To the north of it, brighter skies. Strong winds and blustery showers in

the North