A PENARTH Young Citizen Award has been launched by the town council in a bid to recognise the achievements of children and young people.

The town council has teamed up with the Vale Youth Service and Penarth Youth Action to launch the award that aims to "demonstrate the communities’ appreciation for these outstanding children and young people and encourage others to follow in their footsteps".

The Penarth Young Citizen’s Award is open for children and young people under the age of 21 who live in Penarth or whose contribution is focussed on Penarth.

Each nomination will need to fall within one of the following four categories:

• Community Participation including; fundraising, participating or arranging sponsored events, awareness raising, caring and helping others, charity work etc.

• Personal achievements such as; developing life skills including employment, training, entrepreneurship and philanthropy as well as personal developmental skills such as attitudinal and personal skills improvements.

• Sporting achievements, examples of achievements for this category include skills development and competition success in any sport.

• The Arts such as painting and crafts, poetry, audio/music production, dance and drama.

Town Mayor Cllr Martin Turner said of the award: “It is important that society recognises the valuable contribution made by our young people in a wide variety of activities. This award will enable the Town Council to reward those who have worked hard to excel in their particular interest and have importantly provided role models for others. I encourage you all to nominate those who you believe have made a contribution in any of the listed categories.”

Ve Van de Voorde, Youth Participation Officer for the Vale of Glamorgan Youth Service, said: “We’re really excited about this new award as it will help us show the young people of Penarth how valuable they’re contribution to the town is.”

You can nominate a child/young person that you know by completing an entry form, available from the Town Council Office, West House, Stanwell Road, or website www.penarthtowncouncil.gov.uk. All entries must be submitted by December 31, 2014 to the Town Council office.

All nominees will be invited to attend a special event to take place in February 2015 at the Paget Rooms.

All those shortlisted will receive a certificate for their work. The winners from each category will receive a £25 voucher and the overall winner will receive a £100 voucher to spend on a well-earned gift plus have their names engraved on a perpetual trophy to be displayed in a prominent public building in the town.