Latest News & Events - 18th March 2008

The overall winner of the regional YOPEY, who collected £1000 on the night, was Emma Speigler, of Ovaltine Drive, Kings Langley, who has set up a website for children of addicted parents, www.coap.co.uk, which gives advice for young people growing up with the same problems that Emma experienced.

Emma, a former cannabis user, grew up with an alcoholic mother but turned her back on drugs in a bid to help others. She was praised by the judges for her `passion and determination’ and her `ability to take her negative situation and channel it in a positive way for others’.

She said she was `surprised and amazed’ at winning but hoped the publicity would lead to more young people visiting the Coap website. She gave £500 of her prize to the London charity Jewish care for which she now works. And the other £500 will go on hiring counsellors to hold sessions on her website.

The £500 junior winner was 17-year-old Aaron Higgs, of Elmwood Grove, Great Elms Road, Hemel Hempstead, who coaches several rugby league teams at his school, Adeyfield, and at Hemel Stags club.

Aaron was presented with his prize by Chief Superintendent Jeremy Alford, the police commander in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans, who said: “After a troubled start in life Aaron used to stay at home playing computer games when he should have been at school, he has completely turned his life around through sport.” Aaron was shocked when his name was called and said he would be donating £250 to Hemel Stags and saving the rest towards going to University.

Other prize winners included Emma Lander, who runs a breakfast club for lonely children at Townsend School in St Albans. She was given a laptop donated by Mr. Telensky’s company, SkillsTrain.

RUNNERS UP
£250 runners-up prizes were given to four 15 and 16-year-olds from Sir John Lawes School in Harpenden:

Caitlin Archer, of Lower Luton Road, Wheathamsptead
Beth Barratt, of St Martins Close, Harpenden
Heloise Smith, of Salisbury Road, Harpenden
Jim Thompson, of Codicote Road, Whitwell

The youngsters are involved with a schools `Africa Link’ project in Zambia and were presented with their prize by the deputy mayor of St Albans, Cllr Geoff Harrison.

The other £250 runner-up was Lynsey Mason, a 25-year-old of Long Chaulden, Hemel, Hempstead, who helps to care for her disabled younger brother Daniel, despite having learning difficulties herself. She was presented with her prize by Hemel Hempstead M.P. Mike Penning, who, on behalf of the judges, described Lynsey as a fantastic example of selflessness.

The YOPEY awards were set up by Tony Gearing, a Hertfordshire resident and former national newspaper journalist, with funding from Jan Telensky’s SkillsTrain. Mr. Gearing founded YOPEY because he was fed up with the `unfair bad press’ young people receive. He said: `all the finalists are winners for helping to improve the image of young people today’.

Mr. Telensky said “Young people are our future and it’s absolutely right that we should recognise and reward those who make a valuable contribution to their community. The SkillsTrain YOPEY prize winners are great examples to us all and they thoroughly deserve their prizes”.

DIGNITARIES PRESENT:-
Jim McGown - Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire

Ch. Supt. Jeremy Alford - Hertfordshire Constabulary

Cllr. Teresa Heritage - Conservative Leader, St Albans District Council

Mike Penning MP - MP for Hemel Hempstead

Cllr. Bert Pawle - Town Mayor / Harpenden Town Council

Guest – Cllr. Pat Kent

Cllr. Geoff Harrison – Mayor / St. Albans District Council

Cllr. Iain Laidlaw-Dixon – Chairman, Hertfordshire Police Authority

Bengie Walden - Member, Hertfordshire Police Authority

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