Leeds business stars align to support Child Friendly Leeds Awards 2020

Preparations are well underway for the 7^th annual Child Friendly Leeds Awards and businesses across the city are providing their support for the celebration.

The prestigious ceremony takes place in February 2020 and recognises the amazing people, places and organisations that help make Leeds the best city for children and young people to grow up in.

Planning for the awards has been carried out by a group of enthusiastic and dedicated young people – ‘Tentastic Productions’ – who have been meeting at Leeds City Varieties to make decisions on the organisation of the event. The group revealed the theme of ‘Space’ for the next awards, which they say promises a ceremony that will be “out of this world!”.

The Child Friendly Leeds initiative was launched in 2012 and has built up an expansive network of ambassadors over the years, with hundreds of individuals, businesses and organisations from across the city having signed up to be Child Friendly Leeds ambassadors. The awards offer a great opportunity for ambassadors to join in the city-wide celebration of all the fantastic work that is happening across the city.

This year seven businesses have sponsored the awards, including: aql; White Rose Shopping Centre; City Varieties Music Hall; Victoria Leeds; Trinity Leeds; Harvey Nichols; and First Direct Arena. Their commitment shows the continued dedication from the Child Friendly Leeds ambassador network.

Councillor Fiona Venner, executive member for children and families, said:

“The dedication of ambassadors to our Child Friendly ambitions reflects our citywide commitment to making Leeds the best place for children and young people to grow up in. I am so grateful for the contributions that our valued ambassadors make year on year to help improve outcomes for children, young people and families across Leeds. Without their ongoing support, holding fantastic events like the Child Friendly Leeds Awards would not be possible. I’m really looking forward to the awards and seeing the hard work of our ambassadors and the amazing Tentastic Productions pay off!”

Professor Adam Beaumont, founder and CEO of aql, said:

“Our continued support for Child Friendly Leeds is a no-brainer. I think it is fantastic that young people are supported to plan and deliver the awards and I love the focus of the event, which celebrates the achievements of young people. It is also great to see people and organisations being recognised for the work they do to support young people.

“The spirit and intent of the awards chime with my aspirations for the city and my hopes for young people to thrive in Leeds. It is great to see young people being encouraged to engage with the arts and also to invest and be active in their community.

“This will be our third year sponsoring the awards. On behalf of aql, we’re proud to be the main sponsors for now and the foreseeable future. Moreover, personally, I’m proud to be an ambassador of Child Friendly Leeds and urge the private sector to get involved - their support is vital.”

Dean Stratton and Samantha Knight, from White Rose Shopping Centre, said:

“We’re incredibly proud of White Rose’s reputation as a family-friendly shopping centre. We work closely with Child Friendly Leeds and Leeds City Council to ensure that White Rose is accessible to all and is a safe, welcoming place for families.

“Any organisation can have a positive impact on the city, and it’s important that we come together to support families and young people. The example we set for young people today will be carried through the generations, and we can all support in making Leeds the most child-friendly city in the UK.”

Nicola Hanson, Deputy General Manager at Victoria Leeds, said:

“At Victoria Leeds, we support and deliver a number of community projects, events and initiatives that are focused on improving the quality of life and upskilling young people. Child Friendly Leeds is a fit with our community investment activity and supports our work to ensure Victoria Leeds is an inclusive destination for all visitors.

“We have sponsored the Child Friendly Leeds awards for several years now and have always been extremely impressed with how young people from across the city organise and host the awards. Always professional, the awards themselves provide a fantastic and unique opportunity for young people to gain new skills, experiences and increase confidence.

“It’s great to be involved and play our part in a city wide initiative that addresses issues such as poverty, education and inequality in young people.”

ENDS

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