Teens Matter Pembs has launched its first-ever youth recognition evening with the aim of helping young people who sometimes go unnoticed get the recognition they deserve.

Teens Matter Pembs is run by young people to help young people across Pembrokeshire.

The team has been working tirelessly the last few months to pull together their first ever ‘Teen Matter Pembs Youth Recognition evening’.

“The team has all agreed that for a first time event, even with issues that can happen to anyone running an event, it was a great success, and the message of helping recognise the unnoticed inspirational young people within the local county was fulfilled above and beyond,” said Noah Pooley of Teens Matters Pembs.

The event was held at Pembroke Town Hall with a total of eleven awards being given out (one double award) which included seven individual awards and three group awards.

The Teens Matter Pembs Youth recognition evening was sponsored by many companies and local businesses including The Bluestone Foundation, Paddlewest, West Wales Action for Mental Health, Ascona group, Rainbow reef day care, Bowlings riding school, Just great web design, Deborah Wilcox home design and two private sponsors.

There were six guest speakers from a variety of organisations charities and businesses, including - Aiden Brinn, Deputy Mayor of Pembroke, Vikki Phillips, action for children, Lyn Edwards, street pastors, and linked to many places such as The Tanyard, Terry Davies from West Wales Action for Mental Health, Noah Pooley, representative of Teens Matter Pembs, Aimee Makriganis, young person close friend of Teens Matter Pembs.

The award winners were as follows:

Young Inspiration Award: Eylem Senkal; Young Volunteer Award: Lexie Brown; Young Carer Award: Angel Downing-Press and Oliver Dowing-Press; Supporting Youth Involvement Award: 2nd Milford Sea Scouts; Credit To The Comunity Award: Tanyard; Youth Project Community Citizen Award: Layla-Marie; Environmental Impact Award: Pembrokeshire National Park; Next Gen Youth rangers and Youth Committee Mental Health Advocate Award: Mikey Powell; Overcoming Adversity Award: Logan Coombes; Teens Matter Pembs overall Award: Maddison Reynolds.

Noah added: “This whole evening highlights just a small amount of those young people in our county who go above and beyond for those in their family, friend groups, and community.

“The team here at Teens Matter Pembs hopes that next year's event will be able to help more people be recognised, but also we are currently setting up focus groups and a young voices conference to help youth voices be listened to, and acted upon now more than it ever has been before.”