Inspire awards

The Cardiff Against Bullying team will host their annual Inspire Awards on November 18 at Cardiff Castle. Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Cllr Brian Griffiths and Executive Member for School and Lifelong Learning Cllr Freda Salway will be in attendance to award primary and secondary pupils, plus school staff and community representatives who have helped to tackle bullying.

Those nominated have assisted in making their school or community group a bullying free zone. Many of the pupils nominated have used their own initiative to help new or younger pupils and create a friendly environment. School staff and community representatives will also be praised for their work tackling bullying.

The nominations were judged by Cllr Freda Salway, Inspector Shane Ahmed from South Wales Police, Norman Cooke from Cardiff Council and health promotion practitioner Cerys Jones.

Executive Member for Schools and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said:” The Inspire Awards are a great way of thanking the school pupils, staff and community representatives who have gone the extra mile to help others. The nominees are an inspiration and I am looking forward to meeting them at the awards.”

Inspire Award Finalists

Primary School Pupil Category Finalists:

Connor Woodcock – Lansdowne Primary School
Connor helps everyone in school; giving a helping hand to new pupils and making them feel welcome. He helps pupils in the school yard who are facing problems and makes sure those pupils who feel left out by others are able to join in games. He helps the midday supervisors and helps to keep the school environment clean and safe for other pupils. Connor is committed to school; he is always punctual and has recently been elected by his peers as House Captain.

Chloe Uphill – Lansdowne Primary School
Chloe is a friend to pupils in her year group and across the school and is both generous and supportive towards others. She makes new pupils feel welcome and if they feel lost and lonely she will actively seek them out and explain how things work in school. She will make sure everyone who wants to participate in a game can and no one is left out. Chloe makes everyone feel better about themselves.

Sophie Hutchins – St Paul’s C.W Primary School
Sophie runs and organises the school Buddy group. She monitors the playground friendship stop and ensures that no one is lonely and has someone to play with. She supports and teaches younger children new games and how to use equipment. She can be relied upon every playtime and lunch time and has made play time a much happier time for pupils and staff. She is also extremely kind and caring towards any new pupils who enter the school.

Secondary School Pupil Category Finalists:

Shemeah Wilson – Cantonian High School
Shemeah plays an active role in school life, in and outside the classroom. She has played a huge part in helping to make Year 7 pupils feel welcome to the school by escorting them to their lessons and helping them out with any problems they have faced. She has done this using her own initiative and has since been chosen to take part in the peer mentoring scheme within the school. She has undertaken training with Cardiff against Bullying so she can be a peer mentor to Special Educational Needs pupils in the school. Shemeah is a pupil who will often stand up to other pupils if she sees that someone is being picked on or bullied. She is keen to make new and vulnerable pupils feel welcome in her class. She is an extremely kind and thoughtful pupil.

Iwan Matheson – Llanishen High School
Whilst in Year 10 Iwan trained as a Buddy and visited the local feeder primary schools and spoke at length to the Year 6 pupils to give them a honest viewpoint on transition and reassure them of the support available to them from older pupils. He visited the same group of pupils throughout their time in Year 7 to help those struggling to settle in and make friends, to mediate where relationships had broken down and to be a source of support where needed. He has given up countless breaks and lunch times and has organised the Buddies on schools open evening, meeting the parents and pupils from Years 5 and 6. Now in Year 12 Iwan has led a team of pupils to set up a new Senior Buddies System, mentoring not only the incoming Buddies team in Year 11 but also pupils further up the school who need someone to spend time with. Iwan never stops looking for ways to improve the school ethos and environment.

Shelby Murray – Willows High School
Shelby is often helping staff in school and teachers have commented on her willingness to help. She has been a school buddy since Year 10 and has helped many pupils who have been bullied. Shelby regularly helps her disabled aunt out of school hours and works hard in everything she attempts with regular success, often overcoming personal obstacles to achieve a successful outcome.

School Staff Category Finalists:

Sonia Price – Oakfield Primary School
Sonia provides outstanding support and guidance to pupils with social, emotional and behavioural challenges. She has enthusiastically initiated and delivered programmes to raise children’s self esteem and improve pupils’ anger management. Staff, pupils and parents recognise the commitment and effort she demonstrates on a daily basis. Pupils feel safe, secure and valued in her care which is reflected in the confidence with which pupils share their worries and concerns. Children actively seek her out if they feel upset, insecure or vulnerable at any time. Her sensitive and considered intervention, in situations of conflict, contribute significantly towards the success of the school’s positive behaviour management programme; effectively managing and resolving instances of bullying. Her contribution to the school reaches far beyond her job description.

Sue Curtis – Lansdowne Primary School
Sue has inspired staff with the implementation of a new scheme ‘R’ Time, organised school INSET and ensured its implementation and sustainability. She has supported the development of her school’s peer mentoring scheme and provided activities for those in need of assistance. She ensures the anti-bullying policy is embedded into the day-to-day life of the school and makes new pupils feel welcomed and valued. She has actively promoted transition arrangements between the primary phase and secondary phase to assist pupils with the move into High School. She has made every effort to ensure the school is a more respectful place to learn, work and play and continues to build on her skills, knowledge and understanding of issues to continually improve the ethos of the school.

Community Representative Category Finalists:

Linda James – Bullies Out
Linda founded BulliesOut in 2006, since then has tirelessly worked to develop and deliver workshops, presentations, peer mentoring training and organising fundraising events. Linda demonstrates real compassion to want to make a difference to the lives of those who are suffering from bullying. To date Linda and BulliesOut have helped and supported thousands of children and young people affected by bullying. Linda has achieved amazing results for BulliesOut, delivering the peer mentoring and hand of courage programmes to over 5000 children, most of which has been achieved whilst overcoming personal obstacles.

Steve Gunning – 2nd Rhiwbina Scout Group
Steve is enthusiastic and encourages all round him. He helps people young and old to feel good about themselves. He has made it clear to all members in his Scout group that bullying behaviour is unacceptable in Scouting and in wider society. He has supported sections to work with young people to develop a code of conduct and has established what acceptable behaviour is, and what is not. He has helped to create a respectful and friendly environment in the scouting sections where bullying isn’t welcome. He has developed activities which look at dealing with bullying and helping others who may have been bullied. He has helped to improve members’ self confidence and promoted good behaviour. Through his cheerfulness and acts of kindness he has consistently made a difference.

Jane Tariq – Splott Play Centre, Children’s Play Services
Jane works tirelessly with all children and young people in Splott and Tremorfa. She comes into work on her days off to support young people on the NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) project and has even taken one young person to meetings to help with their addiction problems. She helps young people to respect themselves and each other and to understand that bullying behaviour is never acceptable. She makes a special effort with children and young people, who have difficulties making friends, to include them in as many activities in the community as possible, building their self esteem and confidence. Her can-do attitude and positivity make her a fantastic champion of children and young people.