Youth workers, youth projects and young volunteers from across Cumbria have been celebrated at new awards.
The Better Tomorrows Awards 2025 were created to shine a spotlight on those making a real difference to the lives of young people through youth work.
Awards were handed out to the Youth Worker of the Year, Youth Project of the Year, and Young Volunteer of the Year as part of the annual Better Tomorrows Youth Work Celebration Event, held at Carlisle Youth Zone.
Better Tomorrows was launched by Cumbria Community Foundation in 2021 with the aim of substantially increasing the number of young people able to access quality youth work across Cumbria and increasing the number of trained youth workers.
So far, £2.5 million has been raised from more than 50 funders, enabling youth work for over 8,000 young people through 61 trained workers, 46 new jobs, 116 volunteers, and 22,230 hours of provision.
The event at Carlisle Youth Zone on November 12 brought together youth workers, young people, funders, and community organisations to celebrate the progress to date and hear about future plans.
Awards were handed out to winners chosen by a panel of young people from a longlist of nominations by members of the public. Each winner also received £500 toward their youth project or group.
Fourteen-year-old Evie Owen was named Young Volunteer of the Year for her dedication to Wigton Wombles, run by North Allerdale Development Trust.
Evie has been volunteering for five years with the group, helping to run litter picks, craft sessions and other community projects.
She said: “I help the little ones if they’re struggling. To be nominated for Young Volunteer of the Year makes me feel really good. It was a big surprise to win. I just like helping the community.”
Lindsey Atkinson, community engagement producer at Tullie in Carlisle, was named Youth Worker of the Year.
She said: “I work hard to reach out, break down barriers and always work on others’ terms. Collaboration is at the heart of it all and I love helping people to turn their amazing ideas into real experiences.
“I was really surprised to be nominated for this award. I’ll let the young people decide what to spend the prize money on – maybe a trip or a big party.”
Shackles Off, based in Seascale, was named Youth Project of the Year.
Operations manager Joanne Pears said: “It’s so nice for the team to be recognised in this way. The whole reason we exist is for the young people so we’ll let them decide how to spend the £500.”
Keynote speaker Andy Lloyd, head of quality and standards at the National Youth Agency, shared valuable insights into national youth strategy development and celebrated the unparalleled impact of Better Tomorrows – pioneering a professional pathway that is redefining youth work and opening doors to meaningful careers with young people.
He said: “What’s happening here in Cumbria with youth work training is amazing, but that’s not the picture across the country. Nationally, two-thirds of the sector don’t have a recognised youth work qualification. Youth work as a profession is often overlooked and misunderstood.”
David Beeby, former chair of Cumbria Community Foundation and founder of the Better Tomorrows programme, said: “It’s so important to recognise the value of youth work. The feedback we have had from the newly trained youth workers, the young people they support and the organisations they work in tells us that Better Tomorrows is making a huge difference across the county.
“These awards are a chance to recognise and celebrate the incredible work happening across our communities – both paid and voluntary – to support and inspire young people.
“Congratulations to all of the winners, to those shortlisted and to everyone nominated – every one of you is a winner, as far as I’m concerned.”
As well as funding to pay for accredited youth work training, which is managed by Cumbria Youth Alliance, Better Tomorrows also offers multi-year grants of up to £75,000 to community organisations that set up or provide new youth work opportunities for local people.
Over 50 funders have contributed to the programme, including Cumbria Community Foundation, Francis Scott Trust, Four Acre Trust, Nuclear Waste Services, many local businesses and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
