Youth workers, youth projects, and young volunteers in Cumbria will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community at the inaugural Better Tomorrows Awards 2025. The awards, which are now open for nominations, will honor individuals and projects that have made a significant impact on the lives of young people in the county.
The Better Tomorrows Awards are part of the annual Better Tomorrows Celebration Event, which brings together youth workers, young people, funders, and community organizations. The event, set to take place on 12 November at Carlisle Youth Zone, will announce the winners of the three categories: Youth Worker of the Year, Youth Project of the Year, and Young Volunteer of the Year.
Launched in 2021, Better Tomorrows aims to increase access to quality youth work in Cumbria and train more youth workers. David Beeby, Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation and founder of the Better Tomorrows program, expressed his excitement for the awards, stating, “The feedback we have had from the newly trained youth workers, the young people they support, and the organizations they work in tells us that Better Tomorrows is making a huge difference across the county.”
The Better Tomorrows initiative has trained over 50 accredited youth workers, funded 50 new youth work roles, and engaged more than 5,000 young people in Cumbria. In addition to funding for accredited youth work training managed by Cumbria Youth Alliance, the program also offers multi-year grants of up to £75,000 to community organizations that provide youth work opportunities for local people.
Over 50 funders have contributed to the program, including Cumbria Community Foundation, Francis Scott Trust, Four Acre Trust, Nuclear Waste Services, local businesses, and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
A panel of young people will judge the shortlisted nominees in each category. Nominations can be submitted by the public until 30 September via the Cumbria Community Foundation website.
For more information about Better Tomorrows and how to support it, please contact Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, at 01900 820827 or annalee@cumbriafoundation.org.
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