This year’s Bristol Young Heroes have had their bravery and hard work recognised and celebrated at a star-studded awards ceremony. On Friday 1st October over 300 guests gathered at We The Curious for a glitzy gala awards evening to celebrate the 2021 Bristol Young Heroes Awards and see the winners announced. Hosted by former BBC Bristol presenter Emma Britton, the event saw 12 awards given out for astonishing acts of compassion, good deeds and courage. The night was truly spectacular, and fitting with the carnival theme. We saw a wonderful performance from one of our finalists; Razzamataz and an engaging display of Samba drummers and dancers from our friends at Bristol Samba. And the Winner is... Among the award winners on the night were Megan and Grace who were walking home from school when they witnessed an awful road traffic accident. Despite the terrible scene in front of them, both girls stayed and were able to support those injured whilst also calling for help. The girls saved the lives of multiple people that day. CJ Fitton won the overall Young Hero 2021 Award for her ability to overcome a series of extremely challenging personal circumstances and issues, and to come out the other side. Nominated by Youth Moves, she has been working and campaigning to improve the situation for other young people in a similar position, improving the accessibility of mental health support. Another winner, Gabe Rusenieks is a passionate member of Young Bristol’s Kayak club. Since joining in 2020 Gabe has made tremendous progress on the water despite being partially sighted. Gabe has overcome this barrier to continue to develop and grow in an activity that he loves, and is now a key member of the group who also supports others to feel more confident on the water.
Full list of Sponsors, Award Presenters and Winners as follows: Action Hero – Sponsored by Avon & Somerset Police – Presented by Cllr Asher Craig – Winner: Dwayne Mclaren Arts & Culture Hero- Sponsored by Water 2 Business- Presented by Will Hamilton-Davies – Winner: Mariama Sanneh Caring Hero – Sponsored by BOM IT solutions- Presented by Joe Sims- Winner: Louis Pang Covid Hero – Sponsored by National Lottery Community Fund – Presented by Peaches Golding OBE – Winner: Erika Wintle Enterprise Hero- Sponsored by First Class Comms – Presented by Briony Williams – Winner: Shelena Artman Environmental Hero- Sponsored by Elmtree Garden Contractors Ltd – Presented by Martha Chillcott – Winner: Bradley Ford Learning Hero - Sponsored by UWE (University of the West of England) BristolPresented by Steve West CBE – Winner: RJ Gingell Sporting Hero - Sponsored by Lancer Scott – Presented by Lauren Filer – Winner: Gabe Rusenieks Super Hero - Sponsored by Bristol Water – Presented by Meg Abernethy-Hope – Winner: Megan & Grace Elder Team of Heroes – Sponsored by UES building service contractors – Presented by the Bristol Gulls – Winner: St George House High Sheriff Award – Sponsored by Mobius works – Presented by Bristol High Sheriff, Sue Davies – Winner: Jade Bailey Overall Young Hero - Sponsored by GKN Aerospace – Presented by Stephen Cowan – Winner: CJ Fitton 11
