Four Felixstowe youngsters receive prestigious award from Prince of Wales
Four Felixstowe youngsters have been given awards by the Prince of Wales as part of the Prince's Trust Awards.
Cameron Sadler, Poppy Ferrar, Talena Dalton and Mason Grant, all aged between 18 and 22, have scooped the prestigious Dell Technologies Community Impact Award, which is given to young people who make positive contributions to the community.
They collected their award from the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles on May 24.
The Prince's Trust Awards has been running since 1976, and champions young people, with the 2022 awards being broadcasted on ITV for the very first time, hosted by Ant and Dec.
The four all attended the star-studded ceremony in London, with celebrity ambassadors in attendance including Sir Ben Kingsley, Jeremy Irons, Bear Grylls and Kate Garraway.
The youngsters all signed up for the Prince's Trust Team programme with Inspire Suffolk to help build their confidence, meet new people and gain employability skills.
They were all facing challenges in life ranging from mental health issues to long-term employment problems.
As part of their programme, Cameron, Poppy, Talena and Mason linked up with three local care homes in Felixstowe.
They asked residents to submit letters with life advice to their 16-year-old selves. They then turned the 15 letters into a book.
Poppy Ferrar, 22, said: "The project helped me come out of my shell and made a difference to individuals who experience the negative impacts of loneliness."
On winning the award, Cameron Sadler, 18, said: "This means so much to us all that I don't think any of us actually expected to be recognised on such a level.
"Doing the programme has personally done so much for my confidence and anxiety and so much for us as individuals."
American actor, producer and Pearl Harbor star Josh Hartnett said: "Talena, Poppy, Mason and Cameron, are very worthy winners of this award for their ingenious way of engaging with and supporting the older residents of their community.
"Their immense efforts during the programme have been vital to shine a light on the issue of loneliness. They truly are an inspiration."
The awards will be broadcasted for the first time on ITV and ITV Hub on Thursday, May 26 at 8.30pm.
