New hopes for reviving cancelled youth awards

The announcement was made last Tuesday at a meeting of Arun District Council’s overview and select committee by John Stride, the chief executive of Inspire Leisure.

The revelation came after he was questioned about why the awards were scrapped.

Mr Stride told the committee the difficult decision of stopping the awards, made earlier this year, had been taken due to budget constraints, but they were looking at alternatives.

Philippa Dart, the district council’s assistant director of environmental services, said: “We are looking with Inspire Leisure at ways of continuing with the awards and we are working with 
the youth council to do this as it is something which is much valued.”

The news was welcomed by councillors.

The committee’s chairman Paul English said: “The stopping of the awards came as a loss to the youth council and it is something I personally would like to see come back.

“It is so important that we encourage the inspiring youth of the area to excel.”

The lack of funding had led youth councillors to decide against running the awards in 2014 and consider their options for the future.

The presentation night had taken place each March for about the past ten years and was a popular event.