Youth workers, youth projects and young volunteers across Cumbria will be celebrated at a new awards ceremony later this year – and you can help choose the winners.
The Better Tomorrows Awards 2025 will shine a spotlight on the people and projects making a real difference in the lives of young people. Nominations are now open for three categories: Youth Worker of the Year, Youth Project of the Year, and Young Volunteer of the Year.
The awards are part of the annual Better Tomorrows Celebration Event, which brings together youth workers, young people, funders, and community organisations. This year’s event will take place on 12 November at Carlisle Youth Zone, where the winners will be announced in front of a live audience.
Better Tomorrows was launched in 2021 with the aim of substantially increasing the number of young people able to access quality youth work across Cumbria and also increasing the number of trained youth workers
David Beeby, Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation and founder of the Better Tomorrows programme, said: “The feedback we have had from the newly trained youth workers, the young people they support and the organisations they work in tells us that Better Tomorrows is making a huge difference across the county.
“These awards are a chance to recognise and celebrate the incredible work happening across our communities – both paid and voluntary – to support and inspire young people.”
The awards are part of the wider Better Tomorrows initiative, which has trained more than 50 accredited youth workers, funded over 50 new youth work roles, and engaged more than 5,000 young people across Cumbria.
As well as funding to pay for accredited youth work training, which is managed by Cumbria Youth Alliance, Better Tomorrows also offers multi-year grants of up to £75,000 to community organisations that set up or provide new youth work opportunities for local people.
More than 50 funders have contributed to the programme, including Cumbria Community Foundation, Francis Scott Trust, Four Acre Trust, Nuclear Waste Services, many local businesses and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
A shortlist will be chosen in each category from public nominations, which are open from now until 30 September. The awards will be judged by a panel of young people.
Nominations can be submitted via: www.cumbriafoundation.org/programmes/better-tomorrows/better-tomorrows-awards
For more information about Better Tomorrows, and how to support it, contact Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation on 01900 820827 or email annalee@cumbriafoundation.org.
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