More than 250 people from across the Wakefield District dusted off their dickie bows and donned their favourite dresses to celebrate the Cedar Court Hotel’s Yorkshire Children of Achievement Awards on Saturday 23 June.
Supporting the bravery and talents of young people from across the district, each with remarkable stories to share, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as ten very deserving children took to the stage to accept their awards and become the centre of attention during a night that they will never forget.
Taking place at Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield for the second year running, the event recognised seven children across the following categories; Inspiring Individual – Judges Choice, Bravery, Courage in Battling Illness, Young Achiever in Academia, Enterprise, Young Achiever in the Arts and Sports Achievement, with a further three receiving highly commended certificates.
As well as a trophy, each winner also received a bouquet of flowers; a goody bag from H2K, the award-winning Kalahari melon seed oil inspired skincare range; treats from HARIBO and tickets to the pantomime at the Theatre Royal Wakefield.
Guests were welcomed with a champagne reception before enjoying a three-course sit down dinner and an evening of memorable entertainment that included a live performance from Skinny Living, the Sony signed band originally from Wakefield.
Chairman of WACCL, Ian Taylor, host of Saturdays event, said: “First and foremost, I would like to thank our headline sponsor Cedar Court Hotels Yorkshire and Skinny Living for their support. I would also like to extend that to the committee, who work so hard to collectively pull this event together.
“We cannot believe how far we have come in just two years. We were overwhelmed by the support when we launched in 2017 and now – to see the event go from strength to strength – is simply fantastic. Bringing the business community together we have raised much needed funds for some incredible causes while rewarding children that deserve it.”
Yorkshire born X-Factor Finalist, Holly Tandy, was due to perform at the event but lost her voice just 24 hours beforehand! Thankfully, Dan Smith, from DSM Productions – who was responsible for all audio visual at the event – stood in at the very last minute and performed classic hits from Michael Bublé and Robbie Williams to delighted whistles and cheers from the crowds.
All money raised from this year’s event will be donated to four very worthy causes; My Burns Club – Pinderfields Hospital, Laila Milly Foundation, Levi’s Star and Theatre Royal Performance Academy.
The event, organised and delivered by WACCL, is the only celebration that is dedicated to rewarding children from across the district for their bravery and talents, giving young people the recognition they deserve for their incredible achievements.
