For me, Tender’s mission is driven by two things: creativity and community. And what a creative community it is!
Nowhere is this more evident than at our annual Tender Awards. As Patron, I am honoured to host this event. For one day every year, we get the chance to step away from the news cycle and look to the positive by celebrating everyone who harnesses their creativity to support Tender’s mission.
We celebrate the teachers helping young people build the skills they need to be safe and flourish. The children and young people spreading the word about healthy relationships to their peers through fun and fascinating projects. The campaigners finding innovative new ways to drive change.
Take Luis Dias, Youthwork Coordinator at the Swannery in Bristol – and winner of Tender’s Community-Connected Youth Worker award.
Luis jumped at the chance for a Tender workshop for his girls’ youth group, and his incredible rapport with the girls meant everyone felt safe and comfortable from the start. With his warmth and positivity, Luis created a space where everyone felt valued and respected, ensuring his girls’ group got the most out of their Tender project.
And then there’s the incredible young people from Forest Academy who won Tender’s Change Makers award. They created a dynamic, inspirational campaign about safety, trusted adults and personal boundaries that has enormous impact across their whole school.
A standout element was an original script by the students inspired by their own experiences. Their honest and brave performance captivated their peers, and the script is now used in PSHE lessons throughout the school to promote healthy, respectful relationships and empower children with the skills for the future.
Or how about Kay Brown, Chaplain of Abbey Grange and winner of our Ripple Effect Award, who has created a lasting legacy for her school and its students, past, present and future. Working in a school in Leeds where students speak more than 70 different languages, Kay is committed to inclusivity and celebrating the diversity of her school’s community.
Supporting young people across different faiths and cultures, she ensures as many as possible can access expert, inclusive and fun relationships education. Thanks to Kay’s unswerving belief in the power of art for social change, thousands of young people at Abbey Grange Academy have attended a Tender peer presentation about healthy relationships, and we’re so honoured to work with true advocates like her.
You can read about all our winners at the Tender website. Talk about creativity for good!
At this year’s event, we celebrated the incredible work of this incredible community. But there is still so much to do. Across Tender, from primary school students to celebrity Ambassadors (welcome Jack and Jo!), through individual donors to corporate partners, every single Tender supporter is helping us develop a safe, inclusive society. It’s never been a better time to get creative!
Because we’re not just about ending abuse. Tender is a beginning. Join us to be part of this incredible mission.
