Young ‘Urban Heroes’ of 2012 to be named this Saturday

Six exceptional young people are to be honoured as ‘Urban Heroes’ in Manchester on Saturday, June 30.

The fifth annual Urban Hero Awards, hosted by Manchester-based youth charity The Message Trust, will recognise the finest achievements of young people from across Greater Manchester and beyond.

Every award winner has an inspirational story of triumph over adversity and demonstrates how young people are making a positive difference in the lives of others in their community.

A year after the worst riots in living memory, the night will show how many young people are being ‘good news’ in cities across the UK.

Following a VIP-studded red carpet reception at Lancashire County Cricket Ground, the winners will be presented with their awards by business leaders including Lord Edmiston and Sir Brian Souter. One exceptional young person will then be named the overall ‘Urban Hero of the Year 2012.’

The award winners are drawn from The Message Trust’s work among the hardest-to-reach young people in schools, communities and prisons.

Each year the charity is in contact with over 100,000 young people  in Greater Manchester and other urban centres including Sheffield and Bradford.

This year’s nominees include: a reformed drug addict who has committed his life to offering training and employment to young men with criminal records; a young man from Openshaw who courageously saved a woman trapped inside a burning building; and a teenager who turned around his violent behaviour to become a respected role model in his local community.

We’ll post the all six nomination videos plus news of the overall Urban Hero of the Year shortly after the ceremony on Saturday 30 June.