A group of young people who produced a film warning of the dangers of arson have been nominated for a royal award.
‘Team 3 Wisbech’ is one of just three groups from the East of England nominated for the Community Impact Award at The Prince’s Trust & Samsung Celebrate Success Awards, which is taking place in Stevenage on Wednesday (11).
The Community Impact Award recognises the positive contribution young people make to their local community whilst developing their own skills.
The group was made up of disadvantaged young people from Wisbech who came together on The Prince’s Trust Team programme, a 12-week personal development course that helps unemployed young people gain the skills and confidence to find work.
The team was brought together as the result of a new working partnership between Cambridgeshire Police and both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Services.
They worked in partnership with the Norfolk fire service to create a short film to raise community awareness of the dangers of arson.
The team raised money to fund the project, as well as all aspects of production of the film.
In all they raised over £800 to buy equipment, planned the content and created the film. As a result, the group learnt a range of new technical skills such as how to operate a camera and sound equipment, as well as planning, leadership and communication.
The project also helped team members to find new confidence and a sense of achievement as they worked hard to produce the film.
Steve Lucas, the group’s team leader, said: “Seeing how some of these young people have progressed makes you realise that a lot of the time all they need is a chance to show what they can do. They’ve all certainly done that and we now have a really valuable resource as a result.”
The 13 team members have seen their situations dramatically improve, and all are either now in employment, volunteering or have gained a place at college.
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