A TAVISTOCK teenager received top honours for her achievements at an award ceremony held on Saturday. Lizzie Blowey, 17, won the ?Participation? category of Devon County Council?s Children and Young People?s Achievement Awards, held at County Hall in Exeter. Lizzie was nominated by Abby Buckleigh from Tavistock Youth Café, for her work with the young people of the town over the last five years, supporting a number of community initiatives and youth issues. Through work on the youth café steering group, Lizzie helped raise more than £100,000 to fund a youth café project, and recently helped the café raise £600 for Comic Relief through a 24-hour famine. Abbey Buckley said: ?Quiet, hard working, determined, selfless, committed and fun, Lizzie is always in the background working away but never steps up to receive any reflected glory.? Elsie Kirby, 13, who attends the café, said of Lizzie: ?She always volunteers for lots of stuff and whatever she does she puts loads of effort into, even if she doesn?t want to do it; she?s really nice.? This is the first year of the awards, which were set up to pay tribute to young people in Devon who have exceeded expectations, achieved personal success or helped other people or communities. A total of 113 nominations for young people were received across the five categories: Healthy Lives; Staying Safe; Education; Participation and Positive Futures. The 27 finalists attended an Oscar-style ceremony at County Hall, Exeter, where they were presented with their awards certificates by chairman of the council Brenda Taylor. Lizzie and the four other winners each received a star trophy, along with vouchers for Devon?s top attractions, valued at more than £1,500, along with Stagecoach Family Explorer bus tickets. Director of Children and Young People?s Services Anne Whiteley, and Mary Nisbett, who chairs Devon Children?s Trust, addressed the finalists at the ceremony. Anne Whiteley said: ?This event is the first of its kind that we have held in Devon, but I hope that it will become an annual event in our calendar.?? The youngsters and their guests then attended a buffet, provided courtesy of Devon Juice Café and Bon Gout Delicatessen. And there was an accolade for another young woman from Tavistock . Former Tavistock College student Tanya Langman, 18, was among the finalists in the education and training section of the awards, in recognition of her personal achievement in that area.
