Teenagers in line for diversity award

TWO teenage friends are in the running for a prize for their efforts to promote diversity.

Toni Paxford and Rebecca Parkin have been nominated for a national diversity award under the category of Positive Role Model.

The pair are both members of Rotherham Youth Cabinet, while Toni is the chairman of Winterhill Year 10 School Council.

Toni said: “My work is mainly related to giving young people a voice.

“I have been involved with work around self-harm, bullying, safer streets in Rotherham, ensuring teaching benefits a wide variety of students and votes at 16.

“I also do charity work for a vast variety of charities such as RNLI and the Special Care Baby Unit at Rotherham Hospital.

“Over the past few years I have helped raise around £3,000 for these causes by organising mixed gender netball games, trainer days at school, no tie days, sponging staff and student days and military boot camps.

“I also assist with young people who have difficulties at home and at school and am a Year 7 peer support.”

Toni said one of her aims was tomake new students feel welcome.

She added: “Sport is important to me as well as it helps with a wide variety of issues, so I help with the leadership scheme at school which offers primary school children the opportunity to experience new sports and even compete at South Yorkshire level.

“I do all this out of love, passion and enjoyment — not for anything else. I feel humbled to have been nominated.”

Rebecca, meanwhile, is a youth patron for the charity Ambitious About Autism, where she contributes to policy updates on special educational needs, helping ensure young people with autism are able to get help and support through school and into later life, also ensuring that they have a voice.

She also mentors young children with autism to help guide them through their first year of high school.

Rebecca was chosen as youth representative of the month for Yorkshire and Humber for her work on bullying and autism.

She said: “I felt like I grew up believing I wasn’t going to make anything of my life as people told me: ‘You’re worthless, stupid, weird’ but realized that I wasn’t and made it my mission in life to make sure that nobody ever feels worthless and help them to do the best they can to succeed.”

You can vote for Toni or Rebecca at www.nationaldiversityawards. co.uk.