Dreamers Wake Up To Victory
With its vision of empowerment and unity, The Dreamers Project, at Mountfields Lodge, Loughborough was chosen as one of the 10 winners in this year’s Philip Lawrence Award.
The project established a group of 85 young people, from Britain, Iraq, Bangladesh, Somali, Albania, Kosovo and Afghanistan, to help combat isolation, prejudice and ignorance. The group organises activities for them but also to educate the wider community about the real issues that refugees and asylum seekers face.
As Din, 16 a member of Dreamers puts it, “Together we are stronger”
The Awards were formally launched in March 1997, in memory of head teacher Philip Lawrence who was killed at the gates of his school in North London, when he intervened to save a pupil. Since then, over 85 groups have received the award. This is the second time the team at Mountfields Lodge have been bestowed this honour. The Amazon Project in 2002 was selected for its work with young women.
The Award, held on the 5th and 6th December, recognises young people aged 11-20 who make a real contribution to communities and the lives of others. Nominations for the award are judged by a panel chaired by Sir Trevor McDonald OBE. He praised the Award as, “helping to counter the stereo-typical image that groups of young people only cause trouble.”
The Awards focus on at least one of these key themes:
• Combating lawlessness and violence
• Promoting community safety
• Advancing racial harmony
• Demonstrating good citizenship
• Supporting projects through schools
Frances Lawrence, “Many young people involved… have to contend with difficulties and deprivation in their own lives but they rise above it to help the lives of others. They are individuals with separate destinies but they also share a common voice, a determination.”
Previous recognition for the Dreamer’s Project has included the East Midlands’ National Council Champions for the Global All-Stars football project… awarded the BT Seen and Heard Awards, for work on social cohesion in the young, and the 3M Echo Community Awards recently.
“We challenge stereotypes and racism that newspapers publish by giving young people a voice.” says Andrew Lake, commenting on the success of the project.
If you would like to know more about The Philip Lawrence Award please visit their website:
For further information about Dreamers or other projects going on at Mountfields Lodge please phone:
01509 267 796
