Archbishop of York Youth Trust Award Winner 2009 - Naomi Cumming

Naomi Cumming, Christ Church Armley, Youth Trust Award

Christ Church Armley Youth Project in Leeds gives local young people the chance to make a positive difference to themselves and the world around them. Staff and volunteers provide a range of initiatives for children and teenagers throughout the week, including youth groups, holiday clubs and sports programmes.

The project also works with local schools to provide peer mentoring and pupil support. It works with young people from the age of seven to young adults in their early 20s. The project works with several key partners including Christ Church Armley where it is based. Project leader Julie Collins says: "We do love each other and we love the young people that come and we feel a sense of their love for us as well and that really is the key to it."

Project volunteer Naomi Cumming, 15, has attended activities run by the project since the age of five and has now become a youth leader in her own right after completing a peer mentoring course. She says the youth project provided a safe, warm place for local children to hang out and encouraged them away from under-age drinking and vandalism.