The amazing achievements of young people were recognised at the Care Leaver Awards this month.
The annual event – this year named ‘Our Night to Shine’ – was held at FarGo Village, with more than 250 young people attending alongside carers, social workers and support staff.
As well as the award presentations, the event featured stalls from local and national partners, food stands, a selfie booth and a stilt man.
The evening featured a very special performance from our Care to Dance group - a dance group of children in care from Coventry who come together to dance and perform. There was also a performance from Ty'rone Haughton, a poet, author and care leaver.
Over 20 young people were recognised for their achievements, winning awards including Heart of Gold Awards to recognise young people who have shown tremendous support, love and care.
There were also categories in areas such as sports, health and wellbeing, and the Care Leaver of the Year Award.
Cllr Patricia Seaman, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The Awards are always an amazing evening, and we were so proud to honour not only those receiving awards, but all our incredible children and young people in care.
“The stories were so moving, and showed how our care leavers have such courage and determination to overcome obstacles in their young lives.
“Coventry works very hard to be a child-friendly city and to put children and young people at the heart of our work, but that can only succeed with the support of many people and organisations, and the young people themselves.
“Congratulations and thank you to our care leavers and all who work so hard to give them the best possible start in life.”
Fiona McCann, Team Manager at the Children in Care team talks about Care Leaver of the Year - Roselyn Bonsu.
" Roselyn plays a vital role in our local Care Leavers Forum, where she consistently contributes thoughtful insights and advocates for meaningful change. Her voice has helped shape services and policies that directly impact care leavers, and she is deeply respected by peers and professionals alike Roselyn is never afraid to speak up and stand out. Through her work with Become Charity, Roselyn recently went to the Houses of Parliament to speak directly to politicians about the real challenges care leavers face. Her courage and honesty will make a huge impact. Roselyn has also begun working with a local radio station - Hillz FM - using media as a platform to raise awareness and amplify the voices of care-experienced young people. Her creativity and drive to make a difference shine through in everything she does."
Cayleigh Marshall, Social Value Manager at E-On said, “Supporting Coventry and its people through our groundbreaking 15-year Strategic Energy Partnership with Coventry City Council aims to go far beyond the technical side of energy and to prove that the work we're doing benefits real people in Coventry both now and for the long term.”
“The Care Leavers Awards was a joyous event and seeing the positive impact for young people in the city is incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.”
“It was an honour to hand the Care Leaver Of The Year Award to Roselyn Bonsu, and I can't wait to see and hear what she does next.”
The awards were presented by our event sponsors - a special thank you to E-On, Coventry Building Society, Impact, Citizen, Positive Youth Foundation and Valpak for their sponsorship and support.
November is National Care Leavers Month (NCLM), a month-long celebration and awareness campaign that was expanded from National Care Leavers Week. National Care Leaver Month recognises and celebrates the achievements of care leavers and aims to highlight the barriers care leavers face and overcome during their transition to adulthood.