THE Jack Petchey Foundation has increased its Jack Petchey Achievement Award grant, designed to recognise the achievements of young people across London and Essex, from £250 to £300 this year. 

The Jack Petchey Achievement Award is run in over 1700 schools and youth organisations across London and Essex and seeks to recognise young people’s achievements through a peer-recognition scheme. Young people who are awarded the Achievement Award receive a certificate and medallion, are invited to a prestigious celebration event and receive a grant, now £300, to be spent to benefit other young people at their school or youth club. 

The increase comes at a time when young people are emerging from the challenges of the pandemic and seeks to further recognise, reward and inspire young people to be their best. 

Sir Jack Petchey CBE, aged 96, said: “I started the Jack Petchey Achievement Award back in 1999 as a way to recognise young people, not necessarily for being the best, but for doing their best. I believe in reward as a means to change. The carrot is better than the stick! I’m so happy we are increasing the value of the award. It is important that young people feel recognised for their achievements”  

Trudy Kilcullen, CEO of the Jack Petchey Foundation, said: “What young people in London and Essex achieve every single day is incredible and should rightly be celebrated. We hope this increase in our Achievement Award value will make young people feel even more proud and empower the work of the organisations they are a part of. Each young person who receives an award can invest £300 in their school or club – a valuable contribution to the amazing work they do to motivate and support our young people. We recognise up to 13,000 young people each year – so that is £3.9 million invested in grass roots youth work every year! We invite any eligible youth organisation or school to join in this amazing recognition programme.”

Robert Dighton, Jack Petchey coordinator at Every Life has a Purpose charity, said: “I often use the Achievement Award as the very best example of making a real different to young people’s lives and actually supporting charities in real and meaningful ways.”

Young people are awarded the Jack Petchey Achievement Award for a wide variety of reasons – sometimes they have achieved a new personal best, shown resilience in a period of hardship or else simply tried their best to improve themselves.