The High Sheriff of Lancashire's Young Citizen Awards

A-17-year old from Blackburn has scooped the Lancashire High Sheriff’s Young Citizen of the Year Award in recognition of his volunteer work in the community.

Sufyaan Patel has completed more than 260 hours volunteering since he started in February 2009. He has shared his time with a number of diverse organisations including for the Brownhill Pharmacy where he helps disabled, illiterate and vulnerable people and the British Science Association, where he works to advance the publics understanding, accessibility and accountability of the sciences and engineering in the UK.

The High Sheriff of Lancashire's Young Citizen of the Year Awards, sponsored by BAE Systems, take place every year and involves the current High Sheriff inviting applications to a competition to find a young person who has helped either their local neighbourhood, an individual, family member or local organisation.

Sufyaan, of Preston New Road, Blackburn, was among 17 shortlisted finalists. They were all invited to attend a presentation at Lancashire Police Headquarters in Hutton after being nominated by Mohammed Kathrada, the Youth Volunteer Development Manager at Blackburn with Darwen Council for Voluntary Service.

Sufyaan said: "Winning has come as a total surprise. Looking at all the other nominees it's clear they are all worthy winners and I’m absolutely ecstatic to have received the award. I would like to thank everyone for nominating and sponsoring me, and the Young Citizen of the Year Award i tself for recognising what I do."

He receives £250 plus a specially commissioned trophy and certificate. Two runners up Alex Warburton, aged 15 from Penwortham, and Irfan Adam, aged 17 from Ashton on Ribble, Preston also receive £100 and certificate each.

Mohammed Kathrada said: “Sufyaan is an outstanding young person who volunteers not to improve his own life but to improve others lives.

“He has encouraged others to take pride in the neighbourhood, the environment, the borough and community as a whole. He has participated in clean up campaigns, anti vandalism campaigns, recycling, fundraising, tree planting and other projects which promote community cohesion and pride.

“Sufyaan is also an active volunteer at Royal Blackburn Hospital and although the people on the ward he is working on have severe facial, neck and dental injuries he sees beyond their injury and talks to all patients. He has also recently joined Friends of the Earth as a volunteer where he is trying to preserve the environment.”

BAE Systems were title sponsor for this year’s Awards, and are proud to be associated with the scheme. Paul Earnshaw, Public Affairs Manager at BAE Systems, said “Young people these days tend to get a bad press because, as so often happens, the majority are let down by the actions of a relative few, and it is those few who society often judges to be typical.

“It’s therefore refreshing to come across a scheme that recognises and celebrates young people’s achievements, and acknowledges the contribution they make to the communities where they live or work. Making a difference in the community is an easy thing to say, but it takes drive, determination and dedication to make it happen – and these are attributes that all of the finalists, particularly Sufyaan, have displayed.”

The winner and runners-up were selected by the High Sheriff of Lancashire, Mrs Susan Reynolds, and a panel of judges from LANPAC, who administer the Awards, Lancashire Constabulary, BAE Systems and former High Sheriff Rodney Swarbrick, who initiated this Award.