Who are the most Child Friendly people, places and organisations in Leeds? You decide!
Nominations for the TENTH Child Friendly Leeds awards are now open!!
Let’s take a look back at the 2024 awards…
The categories
The Child Friendly Leeds team are officially accepting nominations for the people, places and organisations who make this city child-friendly and the best place to grow up! This year there are 7 categories to nominate in, which includes a ‘Children’s Choice’ category which is only open to a children’s vote.
As well as the Children’s Choice award, we are excited that in 2026 will also have 3 winners in the ‘Overall Contribution to making Leeds a Child Friendly City’ category, with a winner from the private sector, the public sector/learning settings, and the third sector.
Read the categories and the full criteria below:
Child / Young Person of the Year
This award recognises an amazing child/young person (0-18 years or up to 25 with additional needs) who has helped make a difference in Leeds. For example, someone who works with their friends, family and community to help and inspire others and effect positive change.
Youth Group of the Year
This award recognises an inspirational youth group whose members are up to the age of 25 years who have made a difference in Leeds. For example, a group who work together to help and inspire others and effect positive change in their local community or city.
The Sue Rumbold Award – Adult Making a Difference
This award is for an adult (21 years or older) doing extraordinary things to be a champion for and help to improve the lives of children and young people in Leeds. For example, someone who goes that extra mile to care for, inspire or support children and young people.
Inspiring Creativity through Play, Arts & Culture
This award recognises the fantastic opportunities and invaluable support that children and young people receive through play and from the arts and cultural organisations or individuals in Leeds who engage, inspire and motivate through activity delivered either in or out of school. This might include opportunities to play in their neighbourhoods and access to nature, film, drama, dance, art and music opportunities delivered by companies, organisations, museums, galleries, libraries, community groups or individuals.
Champion of the Child Friendly Leeds 12 wishes
This award recognises the remarkable work of individuals, projects and organisations who have championed children’s voice through contributions to one of the Child Friendly Leeds 12 wishes which were developed with children and young people in 2022.
If you’re unfamiliar with the wishes, you can watch this short video! The Leeds 12 Wishes for a Child Friendly City – 80,000 children and young people have their say!
Themes of the wishes include supporting children and young people; living in poverty, with their mental health and making healthy choices, providing safe places to play, to have their voice heard, to celebrate difference and diversity, to take action to address climate change, to travel safely, to access fun things to do, to enjoy and engage in learning, to access employment opportunities and making Leeds a more inclusive and accessible city.
Overall Contribution to making Leeds a Child Friendly City
This award is to recognise ambassadors and organisations making a significant contribution to our child friendly city ambitions, around making the city a better place for all children and young people to grow up in.
For example, a business protecting time or resources to provide opportunities for care-experienced young people or foster families. Or a third sector organisation working with families experiencing poverty to ensure children have equal access to opportunities. Or a school or learning setting who supports families through Healthy Holidays provision that targets those who need it most.
This category will have 3 winners – one from the education/public sector; private sector; and third sector!
PLUS the Children’s Choice Award (voted on by children aged 0-18, or up to 25 with SEND, only!) – Best Place in Leeds!
This award recognises a fantastic place for children and young people in Leeds. For example, somewhere that children and young people feel is their favourite place to go – somewhere they find welcoming, inclusive to all, fun, safe, clean and inspiring.
Who can nominate?
Anyone can nominate, and we welcome nominations from all ages and backgrounds.
For nominations in the 6 main categories, we cannot accept online nominations from children under the age of 13. If a child under 13 would like to nominate, a parent/carer must make the nomination for them. This is due to the information that the form collects from the person making the nominations, and there are prompts throughout the form to remind nominators of this!
Children of any age can submit a nomination for the Children’s Choice category, due to the reduced information that we collect in this form.
What happens next?
Early in 2026, a panel of Child Friendly Leeds colleagues and ambassadors will meet and shortlist the nominations using a scoring criteria. The panel will look for how well the nomination meets the category criteria, whether it supports the Child Friendly Leeds 12 wishes, and there are bonus points for WOW factor! Around 7-8 nominees from each category will be shortlisted, with a larger shortlist for the ‘Overall Contribution to Making Leeds a Child Friendly City’ category, which will have 3 winners!
All those who are shortlisted will then be invited to the awards ceremony in July, and those who were not shortlisted will receive a certificate in recognition of their nomination!
Shortly after the shortlisting panel, a different panel of judges will meet and score the shortlist finding our winners and highly commended for each category. But this will be kept a secret until the night of the awards!
The awards ceremony is planned and run by a group of young people and the night itself is so much fun. The winners will receive their prizes, the ‘highly commended’ in each category will have a chance to come up on stage too, and everyone shortlisted receives a certificate and recognition.
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Nominations close!
