Several Spurgeons services shortlisted for 2021 Children and Young People Now Awards

Children and Young People Now magazine is dedicated to professionals working with children, young people and families.

It’s annual CYP Now Awards recognise the very best practice amongst those professionals – and we’re delighted that several of our projects were shortlisted at this years awards, including one project being given a highly commended award in its category. 

This year four Spurgeons projects were finalists at the awards ceremony: 

• Spurgeons Prison-based family support services on The Isle of Sheppey
• Spurgeons Prison-based family support colleagues at HMP Ford, the 
• Spurgeons Boys2Men project at HMP Feltham
• Spurgeons Family Support and Early Years Services in Wiltshire.

Of these, the Prison-based family support services on the Isle of Sheppey at HMP Elmley, Standford Hill, and Swaleside were Highly Commended for the Family Support Award.

The Family Support Award is given to an initiative or service that has done the most to support whole families to help their children lead healthy, happy and fulfilling lives safe from harm. The judges look in particular for work that has helped challenging or disadvantaged families.

In this category, the Spurgeons teams at our prison-based services on the Isle of Sheppey were given a Highly Commended award for their work in the community as well as the support provided to children and families with a loved one in prison. They have gone above and beyond, particularly since March 2020 to reach out to families in need of support across Sheppey working with many community partners to bring not only community spirit but also deliver essential items to many over the past year.

The Head of Reoffending at HMP Swaleside said of the team ”Well done team Spurgeons. I feel very fortunate that we have you on board and supporting us in family services delivery.” Additionally, the Head of Reoffending at HMP Elmley commented: ”They do a great job and…are great partners.” (On behalf of the Isle of Sheppey Cluster).

Another shortlisted Spurgeons service was the Boys2Men project HMP Feltham which was a finalist for the Youth Justice Award which recognises the initiative that has made the biggest contribution to improving the life chances of young offenders, or those at risk of offending or reoffending.

Colleagues from the project commented: ”It was absolutely incredible to be recognised as a finalist at this year’s awards. It really enforces and highlights the incredible work that has gone on from both staff and residents this past year and we are excited to push further for better outcomes going forward. The residents were ecstatic about their work being recognised and one resident added that ‘The news gives me motivation to keep going and to be better.”’

Our Wiltshire Children’s Centre services were finalists in the Early Years Award category. This is given to the initiative which has done the most to improve the life chances of young children under five, especially among disadvantaged or hard-to-reach communities.

Our colleagues in Wiltshire said of the shortlisting: ”To be a finalist in this prestigious award ceremony has made us all extremely proud of the work that we do in Wiltshire and is testament to the hard work that colleagues put in day in and day out.”

And last but by no means least we are extremely pleased in particular that one of our colleagues at HMP Ford prison-based family support services, Anna Stephenson-Knight was shortlisted for the Children and Young People’s Champion award. The award recognises an individual who has achieved significant improvements in the lives of children or young people, especially among disadvantaged or excluded groups, through campaigning, lobbying, boosting participation or other activities.

Anna told Spurgeons colleagues: ”I was absolutely thrilled to have been nominated for the CYPN Young People’s Champion 2021. It was great to be recognised for the work I have done at HMP Ford and I look forward to putting more ideas for the children of the prisoners into practice in the near future.’

Congratulations to all services and projects involved.

Learn more about our Wiltshire Children’s Centre Services

Learn more about our range of Prison-based family support services

If you’d like to find out more about the awards visit the CYP Now Awards website.