Each year we run the Young Achievers Awards, an opportunity for exceptional young volunteers to be commended for their amazing achievements in the arts, sport, community, and the environment sectors.

This year, the Young Achievers Trust are proud to launch a new awards category. The Future Leaders Award will recognise and celebrate young people who meet the Young Achievers Awards criteria, shown below, and also hold a governance position within a charity or social enterprise.  This could be a young person who has found or runs a charity or social enterprise, or a trustee or chair of a charity. We believe that this new category complements the other Young Achievers Awards, which together show how young people are not just delivering, but actually leading positive change within their communities through volunteering.

We offer winners a unique package of support and development opportunities that enable them to make an even greater impact in their community. The awards are judged by young people and experts in each field, who look for evidence of individuals' personal growth, leadership and community impact.

The Young Achievers Awards aim to:

- Recognise, grow and nurture exceptional young volunteers to enable them to achieve the greatest possible impact in their communities

- Inspire more young people to become engaged in volunteering and create positive stories about young people in the media

The awards celebrate young people who have:

- Shown innovation or creativity in their volunteering

- Demonstrated leadership in creating and developing projects

- Used their energy, commitment and enthusiasm to raise awareness

- Created something worth replicating elsewhere and inspired others

- Demonstrated a willingness to develop their talents into new areas

If you know an inspirational young person you think deserves an award don't forget to nominate them when applications re-open in Autumn 2013.