Christian faith, Finsbury, Rainbow Theatre,
Friday 8th February 2013
The VYG’s Annual Award Ceremony – V-Day – was held on Saturday February 2nd at the Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park. Under the title: ‘Victory is in the Name’ the occasion celebrated all that the members of the VYG, the youth arm of the UCKG HelpCentre, had achieved during 2012.
The centrepiece of a glamorous and exciting afternoon was the presentation of awards to the Youths of the Year, who had been nominated by their branches.
One of the most notable winners was 16-year-old Dylan Kawande from the Kilburn branch in north London. Dylan was selected as his branch’s Youth of the Year on the strength of his recent success as the winner of a national award as a ‘Diana champion’ from Westminster Academy as well as his endeavours within the VYG.
Established in 1999 as a lasting memorial for Diana, Princess of Wales, the Diana Awards are for youths who support others and strive to improve their communities, in the expectation that young people have the power to change the world.
However there were other winners from VYG branches all over the UK; and members’ families and friends turned out in droves to support them all. In fact attendance surpassed expectations with an audience of around 1,000.
After a sequence of light, play and smoke curtains and complex synchronised dance routines by a group of VYG’s best dancers, presenters Bronson Wright and Michael Osei took charge with a retrospective of 2012 and what it meant within the VYG.
They shared stories of members’ greatest successes, challenges faced and sacrifices made, in a big build up to the presentation of the awards. If there was an overarching message from the event it was that young people have the potential to create very bright futures indeed, for themselves and their communities.
ENDS
Note to editors:
UCKG is a Christian church and registered charity that offers a range of practical support activities alongside spiritual support and comfort and welcomes all-comers. It reached the UK in 1995 and has gone from strength to strength, providing support and spreading the Christian faith. There are UCKG HelpCentre branches in England and Wales.
The UCKG HelpCentre’s youth group, VYG, is a major long term priority. Designed for 15 – 23 year olds, the VYG provides the same family-style peer group support that attracts young people to gang life, but without the destructive behaviours. Rather, it helps and encourages the young to be the best that they can be.
For further information please contact the UCKG HelpCentre Press Officer via e-mail on press@uckgnew.org or direct line 020 7686 6033.
