#WeWillAwards July 2023

This year we hosted our first-ever annual event, the #WeWillAwards. A joyous day, bringing over 200 pupils, educators and experts to celebrate the Ormiston networks’ combined efforts in youth social action work.

The Ormiston Trust team organised the event held in July at Millennium Point, Birmingham, ahead of the end of the term.

Guests attended a day of jam-packed events, from workshop activities to a phenomenal showcase of performances and, of course, a fabulous awards presentation hosted by ex-Blue Peter presenter Radzi Chinyanganya.

Radzi praised the young people’s exceptional YSA efforts, commending those who showed great strength and resilience despite challenges. In a touching personal tribute, he encouraged the audience to continue their hard work.

On stage, Radzi was joined by co-hosts including Youth Advisor Council members Alexandra Hogg and Hollie Weaver – alongside presenters from the industry including #WeWill and #iWill alumnus ambassadors, Tes’ Nick Browne, and Ormiston Trust CEO James Murray.

“What you do inspires me, inspires us, it inspires others”, Murray said, acknowledging the attendees’ commitment to making a difference through the #WeWill programme. He thanked the core delivery partners for their “tremendous efforts” in making the projects become a reality.

Students from both Ormiston and non-Ormiston schools won awards in the pupil categories, with staff from Ormiston Academy Trust taking home the most awards within the teacher categories.

Here is the full list of the #WeWillAward winners:

Environment

Best YSA Primary
Environment project Sustainability Ambassadors, Gateway Learning Community

Trust

Best YSA Secondary Environment Project

1st #WeWill Recycle, Ormiston Forge Academy

2nd #WeWill Recycle Project & Abi Felgate #WeWill Lead, Ormiston Endeavour Academy

Inclusion & Diversity

Best YSA Primary

Ormiston South Parade Academy

Best YSA Secondary

Birmingham Ormiston Academy Saturday School Community Impact

Best YSA Primary

#WeWill Cook, Lakenham Primary Best YSA Secondary

1st To Do is to Dare, Birmingham Ormiston Academy 2nd Amy Jackson and Freya

Clowes, Ormiston Horizon Academy

Exceptional Leading YSA Student

Best YSA Primary Student

1st Freddie Hollyhead, Hopton Primary School

Best YSA Secondary Student

1st Ebony Starns and Ese Oduh, Gateway Learning Community

Wellbeing

Best YSA Primary

Southtown Primary and Northgate Primary

Best YSA Secondary

Ormiston Chadwick Academy: Combating Poverty

Best YSA Primary #WeWill Cook, Ormiston Packmoor Academy

Best YSA Secondary #WeWill Cook, Ormiston Horizon Academy

Exceptional Student Personal Development

Best YSA Primary Student

1st Harrison Browne, Hillside Primary School Best YSA Secondary Student

1st, Mia-Paige Leek, Birmingham Ormiston Academy 2nd and 3rd Lilia Jervis,

Birmingham Ormiston Academy Leah Robbins-Hackney, Tenbury High Ormiston

Academy

Exceptional Staff Personal Development

Best YSA Primary Student
Clementine Vanden Bergh, Lakenham Primary School 2nd and 3rd Romane Moles,

St John’s Church School and Grant Aldred, Six Village Ormiston Academy

Best YSA Secondary Student

1st Lucy Dalgeish, Ormiston Victory Academy 2nd, 3rd and 4th Lucy Wilkes, Ormiston Horizon Academy and Emily Ullah, George Salter Academy,

Charlene Thomas, Cowes Enterprise College

Winners on the day included creative speech writing competition winners Kiera Guy – Ormiston Ilkeston, Maryam Jamal – Birmingham Ormiston Academy,

Mason Eaglestone and Ella-Bella Newbury – Gateway Learning Community for their ability to produce a unique piece of writing in the form of rap, spoken word, poetry or dramatic monologue exploring one of the key themes: poverty, wellbeing, environment, inclusion and diversity.

Here is the full collection of creative competition writing winners:

By Kiera Guy, Ormiston Enterprise Academy Ilkeston

Mental health (wellbeing) Poem

You don’t always have to be happy, Everything’s OK,
Why not go and tell someone? They could brighten up your day.

Listen for the positive,

The voice that calms you down,
The one who tells you that they care, That they like you being around,
And when you’re standing on the ledge, They’re waiting in the wings, Reminding you that life is full,

Of hope and other things.

Take care of yourself,

Take care of your health, Let all of your worries away.

Although times may be rough, We still have enough,
There is no reason to feel dismay.

Don’t bottle up your feelings, Don’t keep them locked away, Don’t let the sadness stop you, Don’t let it stand in your way.

You won’t always feel like this, You can make a change,
We all need to start somewhere, Just like rainbows come from rain.

By Maryam Jamal,

The color of my skin
Some people would walk past me Look at me as if I’m a sin

The color of my skin
Creates inviable boundaries
I wonder when change will begin

Me, Girl, Brown , Muslim
Strike One Girl

I will always treated differently to men Be stronger or cleverer than them Makes me look like a bad omen

Strike two brown

The first thing that comes to mind Is strict parents, arranged marriages Are u blind?

Strike 3 Muslim

Either my views are extremist and I want to take over the world Or just having a religion in general is backward
And since times have changed we should just move forward

Or maybe I’m being pathetic, I shouldn’t over think It’s 2023 since when did we discriminate

But then things happen that make my hearts sink

The extra checks at airport
Cus nowadays 14-year-olds carry bombs?
Even on TV, in movies and theatre
We are either terrorist

Or the rebellious Muslim trying to run away from her backward scarf wearing mum

I’m so fed up of seeing no change
They always speak of it, yet things seem to stay the same

109,843 racially motivated hate crimes recorded in 2021/2022 That certainly does not seem like a few

On top that of that a 19% increase from the years before Tell me how are things improving if there is more

One things for sure, I will keep on fighting
Fighting for change through speech, Poems or writing

And maybe one day I will be set free
From the stereotypes that encage me
And then the world will refer to me as me
Not the girl who is brown Muslim and Brummie

By Mason Eaglestone, Gateway Learning Community

Hi, I’m Mason Eaglestone from the Gateway Academy, and I’m participating in the Creative Speech Competition. A word used in the poem is “Intoxication” although it has two meanings. The meaning/ denotation I have chosen to use in this poem is “emotionally excited, elated, or exhilarated (as by great joy or extreme pleasure).” Not the denotation “affected by alcohol or drugs especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished”

Verse 1: I need help, help, help, help,
I can’t keep letting this bottle up inside of me There’s nothing I can do or think of help me I need to talk about my problems and
be lively

Verse 2: It’s not always easy to do what you do there are always obstacles that I can’t get through

I need help.
I’m walking around, can’t be bothered at school concentrating, it’s too hard you fool.
I’m all trouble, I can’t finish the work.

Verse 3: Give me punishment, lectures
but you don’t understand
that I’m trapped day and day like a boomerang.
I’ve been trying, trying to help myself,
but it’s too hard, too hard.
And don’t know what to do, cause my goals are too far, too far, Now I’m getting sick and tired, I’m feeling stupid.
I need to help myself feel better
like an arrow of a cupid.

Verse 4: Someone who can finally help me?
they listen to my problems, they don’t even share this is like a miracle, it brings a spring to my glare! They understand me, a person who I can talk too
I got a growth mindset, now I see it’s all fair
now I know someone who really gets me
Ohh, it’s a relief, I’m so happy!

Verse 5: Now facts from professionals, or you could call them study’s being relaxed may help with worry
practice meditation, you may feel some intoxication!
also use breathing, it’s good for relieving

now you know my story, take my words and use them well they will come in handy when time does its tell.

By Ella-Bella Newbury, Gateway Learning Community Diversity Poem Childhood

What will our futures hold?

Everyday we get told,
About the differences,
Race, language and ethnicities,
No matter where you’re from or who you are, In this world today everyone deserves to go far.

What job will you want when you’re older? Doctor, lawyer, teacher or soldier, Whatever you want to do,

Follow your dreams and make it come true, Girl, non-binary or boy,

Just make your life full of laughter and joy, All of our lives will tell a story,
Some are sad, happy or full of glory.

No matter where you are from,
Just keep on being you and stay strong.

Remember to always be kind,
Their beliefs may be different to yours but keep an open mind.

One last thing- whoever you are,
Support each other and we can all go far!

————————–

Other winning works showcased on the day included Hannah T from Packmoor Ormiston Academy, who designed the winning tote bag that encompassed everything that YSA stands for. The selected design was chosen from over 40 drawings to be printed on a tote bag for its fun incorporation of the #WeWill values including volunteering, caring for the environment and being inclusive.

Throughout the day, attendees were invited to take part in a series of engaging workshops tackling themes around combating poverty, environmental issues, inclusion & diversity and wellbeing.

The 45-minute sessions prompted lively BBC Question Time esq debates where students and teachers had the opportunity to ask #iWill Ambassadors with expertise within the field questions.

Facilitated by Raha Hussain-Farnsworth a transformational wellness coach with over 20 years’ experience in the field of mental health and wellbeing, alongside Jolene Scullion an innovative educator who is dedicated to building learning communities from the inside-out. The well-being workshop enabled students and associated adults to engage in a fun and interactive way to understand resilience and how to tap into their own innate well-being at any time no matter what is going on around them.

One parent praised the session, stating: “I wish I had learned these skills and techniques a lot sooner – it would have helped me deal with some of my smaller issues more effectively.”

In a stimulating activity on how to combat poverty, attendees participated in an interactive game, where Andy from Shelter Charity and Kate from Foundations2Change dispelled the myths around homelessness and shared their lived experiences, highlighting social causes that lead to homelessness like addiction, unaffordable housing & breakdown of relationships.

Other sessions included a high-energy dance workshop class delivered by Birmingham Ormiston Academy ambassadors, showcasing the benefits of dance, which resulted in a spectacular dance-off between pupils and teachers alike.

Another favourite workshop included Teach the Teachers’ targeted climate change lessons aimed at equipping both educators and students with skills and knowledge to imagine what it’s like to be a young person during the climate emergency.

The morning was dominated by knowledge exchange, skill development and sharing, with the afternoon being the spotlight of performance.

Brownhills Ormiston Academy kicked off proceedings with the #WeWill Sing Brownhills performance, followed by Birmingham Ormiston Academy showstopping number “Come Follow the Band” from Barnum, where over 50 performers took over the atrium with flips and tricks. The final performance of the day “No One Else” was another number from Birmingham Ormiston Academy.

The first-ever #WeWillAwards Awards Event was certainly a roaring success!

The Founder Peter Murray and Director Di Murray enjoying the day’s celebration

Students from across the network enjoyed taking photographs inside the Ballon arch

The OT team paused to pose for photographs with Radzi at the end of a successful event

Students across the network participate in the thematic workshops

Presenter Dr George Fielding awards Birmingham Ormiston Academy, the winners of the ‘Best Youth Social Action Community Project’ Award who used the arts to engage and enlighten their local community.