Caring pupils recognised at star-studded awards

Kind, caring and thoughtful school pupils have been recognised at an awards ceremony organised by Embark Federation.

Embark, which currently oversees 15 schools across Derbyshire, recently held its second annual awards, which shone a light on 150 of its 4,000 pupils.

Each school nominated deserving children across eight categories, with a special award for those teachers and pupils who attended Derby Kids Camp for the first time this year.

Special guests on the night included West End singer Rosa O’Reilly, who has performed in popular shows including Wicked and children’s TV presenter Olivia Birchenough – best known for her work on Channel 5 show Milkshake.

Also present were Derbyshire athletes Jess Turner, Bekah Walton and Alexia West.

The trio have all represented Team GB at various sports, with Jess Turner competing in the 400m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year.

Presenting the award for ‘Success’ – where recipients included swimmer Maya Adams and tennis star Tiana Bramely – Jess, a member of Amber Valley & Erewash AC, who is originally from Denby, said: “It was an honour to be asked to present the Embark Federation awards to such inspiring youngsters.

“Success can mean different things to different people and if I had one tip, it would be to try everything; give every sport a go because you could just be amazing at it.”

Other award winners included Archie Kerton for ‘his enthusiasm both at school and home’ and Blake Cockayne.

Initially a reluctant reader, his teachers gave him the recognition he deserved for making so much progress over the past 12 months.

Kelvin Clarke, a dancer with Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity – and a former pupil at Aldercar High School, which has recently joined the Embark Federation – presented awards to brother and sister William and Elizabeth Kyte, who attend Chaucer Infant & Junior School. The pair completed a triathlon to support their mum.

Siblings Lucy and Finlay Andrews were presented with a special award by sponsors NOW Education for raising money for a children’s bereavement centre in memory of their father, while the fundraising efforts of seven-year-old Poppy Charlton were recognised by her teachers at Chaucer Junior School, in Ilkeston.

Poppy collected and distributed clothing to homeless people living in Nottinghamshire and, together with her family, she walked 14 miles to raise funds for The Little Ted Foundation.

Matthew Crawford, Embark Federation trust leader, said: “I am exceptionally proud of all of our pupils for their incredible achievements over the past 12 months.

“The awards epitomise our core beliefs; family, integrity, teamwork and success.

“They are central to everything we do. We aim to ensure that school is a magical time for our pupils, and it was a great occasion for our children, staff and families to come together and celebrate.”