In March, Eltham Palace hosted Greenwich’s 13th annual “Do The Right Thing” Young Citizen of the Year Awards, a ceremony that celebrates the accomplishments and personal development of local school children and young students. Among others, three girls from Eltham were nominated for the award by their schools. Justine Dyal and Katy Nash from St. Thomas More Comprehensive and Stephanie Holt from Eltham Hill Technology College were all chosen to receive the accolade for the good deeds they have undertaken in the last year.
Friends since Year 8, Katy and Justine started fundraising for Cancer Research UK when Katy’s Mother and Uncle contracted cancer, after suffering the loss of their sister to the same disease. The girls have both managed to raise over a £1000 so far and show no signs of slowing down. They’ve planned, organised and hosted a number of events at their school, including a Tickled Pink Concert. “The concert was definitely our favourite event” explains Justine, “everyone performed, there was dancing and singing and over 80 people came, it was the event that raised the most money too”. As well as the concert, the girls raised money selling cakes, key rings and badges as well as putting on an Own Clothes Day where everyone at school had to wear pink; “The boys weren’t too pleased” laughs Katy. When asked about the award they explain they had no idea they had even been put forward for it until they got the call telling them. “The ceremony was really lovely, it was nice to hear about all the accomplishments of other’s in the area” says Katy, with Justine interjecting “our parents were proud”. They are also planning to do the Cancer UK Race for Life in the summer and Katy even says they want to put on another event before leaving school in June. All this as well as being Prefect’s, revising for exams and preparing for college in September shows the girls are deserving of their new certificates.
Stephanie Holt was nominated for the award after she joined St John’s Ambulance Service in the hope that it would help her on her way to becoming a paramedic. Joining over a year ago, Stephanie has managed to pass her First Aid exams with less time to prepare than everyone else and has become a Cadet. “I just enjoy working in that sort of area, being able to get out there and help people” explains Stephanie. The Ambulance Service has to attend local public events including Charlton Athletic football games, and Stephanie joins them every Monday after school; “everyone is friendly and I feel safe and happy there...I always look forward to Mondays”. Stephanie has even had to use her newfound skills when not on duty, saving a man’s life when he collapsed in Bexleyheath “I wasn’t on duty and I thought in that sort of situation I would just freeze up, but I knew I had to do it or he would die”. This sort of situation would seem horrifying to most but Stephanie tells the story quite calmly; it is clear she has found the right career path; she plans to join Rapid Response after university. When it comes to the award, Stephanie exclaims “I was shocked! I felt like ‘wow I’ve actually achieved something...it was strange” she smiles, “I even got to meet the Mayoress”. When asked if there was anything else she would like to add, Stephanie pauses for a second then says “be proud of what you do, don’t ever put yourself down, if you see something happening in the street don’t be afraid to help someone!” All the awardees have received a £25 gift voucher as well as sweets, stationary and a framed certificate as a reward for their good deeds.
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