Shaniqua Benjamin was unemployed and at an impasse in her life when she decided to help the overlooked and ignored people in Croydon.
That's when the 25-year-old from Thornton Heath, Woodland Road, decided to start Young People Insight (YPI) in an attempt to empower those same voices that had been all but forgotten about.
"I wanted to address some of the issues we as young people were facing, and highlight stories of the good thing young people were doing.
"I also found myself surrounded by young people from different walks of life who had beautiful hearts and great stories, but were often looked down on or ignored by society."
YPI gives young people an opportunity to talk about topics affecting them through forum discussions, poetry nights and social events.
"I wanted to shine a light on them and give them somewhere to belong, which made me decide to make it into a physical platform," Ms Benjamin said.
"Young people spend a lot of time online already and I wanted them to spend more time speaking to others face to face."
This idea eventually became a reality in January 2016 and has now resulted in Ms Benjamin being named the Young Achiever of the Year at the Mayor’s Civic Awards for 2017.
"I was extremely humbled and a little emotional when I found out that I was a finalist, as I wasn't expecting it," she said.
"It was even more humbling, and also exciting, to actually win the award. It means a lot to be recognised for the work I've done this year in.
"I'm hoping that more organisations will take me seriously and point their people in YPI's direction, as I've seen and believe the platform can make a real difference in their lives."
Among the other winners on the night were:
Business in the Community: Chequers Contract Services Ltd
Contribution to Sport and Healthy Living: Energise FC
Don’t Mess with Croydon – Take Pride: Sparkle Bulku
Fairer Croydon: Roundabout
Good Neighbour: Sarah Balch
Stronger Together: South West London (Croydon) Law Centre Advice volunteers
Young Achiever of the Year: Shaniqua Benjamin
Volunteer of the Year: Bilquis Ahmed
Voluntary Group of the Year: Love Norbury
A special Mayor of Croydon Lifetime Achievement award was also presented to Brian Hollands, a lifelong Croydon resident who has spent 25 years volunteering at St Christopher’s Hospice.
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