25/02/11…..Oxfordshire businesses invited to support Youth Awards
OXFORDSHIRE businesses are being invited to play a crucial role in a very special event. The county?s longest running youth charity, Oxfordshire Association for Young People (OAYP), is keen to involve local businesses in one of its showcase projects. The Oxfordshire Youth Awards celebrate the many positive and inspiring contributions young people make to our county.
OAYP are already planning their next awards and are looking for local businesses that would like to join them as partners and sponsors.
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In the most recent awards there were six categories: Individual Bravery, Community, Volunteer, Sports, Arts and the Jake Spicer Special Recognition Awards. More than three hundred young people and family members attended the celebration event at Oxford Town Hall. This year OAYP hope that each of the categories will have an individual business backer.
The Chairman of the Associations? Trustees, Sir Charles Ponsonby, says: ?The Oxfordshire Youth Awards give a sponsoring business a low cost opportunity to associate – before, during and after the Awards – with something which generates general approbation: excellence, altruism and strength of character amongst the County?s young people.?
The Awards are the most high profile of the Associations? initiatives to support young people in the county, and help them realise their potential as individuals and as part of the community.
Based at the Jennings-owned Boundary Park in Garsington, OAYP has been running for 63 years, and is a big supporter of youth groups across the county. It provides sport, leisure and learning resources for 56 youth groups countywide run by a total of 500 volunteers and attended by more than 2,000 young people per year. OAYP also offers guidance on policy, rules and regulations.
Director Paul Lawrence said: ?With public sector funding cuts affecting both ourselves and the groups we support this is a very challenging time. We understand that local businesses are facing tough times too but wanted to raise awareness of the opportunity to involve themselves and their staff in something that makes a huge difference in the county. Our landlords Jennings have been great both in terms of funding support and advice and mentoring, and we?re keen to build on that by developing partnership with other local businesses.?
The Boundary at Garsington is home to ten companies employing more than 50 people between them. It is part of the Jennings family of business centres which also includes Monument Park, Chalgrove and retail units in Thame.
