AN ENTERTAINER who has overcome illness to fulfil his dream, a teenager who is dedicated to championing young people and a team of enthusiastic volunteers are all nominees in our Community Pride Awards.

Dan Slater suffers from a condition that makes his bones weak and prone to fractures – but he has not let this stop him from working hard to realize his ambition of becoming a magician and entertainer.

The 18-year-old, who is a former pupil of Burnholme Community College, York, has even received an award from the Punch and Judy Fellowship for being the World’s Most Promising Young Professor of Punch and Judy.

His proud girlfriend Vicki Casper has now nominated him in the Nestlé-sponsored Spirit Of Youth category of our awards scheme.

She said: “From a young age Dan has had to overcome many challenges, but he has come out with a strong, positive attitude on life.

“I feel he deserves the award because instead of being out there causing trouble or vandalising things he is out there living his life and doing the one thing he always dreamed of, being an entertainer.”

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Shin Park, of Badger Hill, York, has been nominated for her commitment to improving youth services in York and making sure younger people’s views are heard.

As a member of York Youth Council she gave up much of her spare time to help organise the recent York Youth Festival in Rowntree Park and also worked hard to put together a political education pack for secondary schools.

Also in contention are a team of volunteers from Huntington Secondary School who organised an inter-generational summer fete, which was attended by 70 senior citizens.

Year 9 pupils Adam Dunhill, Nathan Bargate, Kate Tweddle, Stuart Garbutt, Harry Luck and Violet Reeves put on a range of traditional and modern activities, ranging from hook-a-duck and bingo to nail art and a giant Wii game.

Lucy Lawrence, their deputy head teacher, said: “The students had really considered what would appeal, but also what would help the generations to understand one another better. “The amount of energy and effort the students showed was tremendous.”


Teachers who make a big difference

In the flurry of entries we received in the run up to the closing date two more inspirational teachers have been put forward for the Drax-sponsored Teacher Of The Year gong.

Andrea Burton has been nominated by Amanda Mosses, who said her daughter, Jessica, had “progressed in leaps and bounds” since Miss Burton became her class teacher at Carr Infants School in York.

She said: “I am full of admiration for how well she knows each of her pupils, the exact level of their capabilities and how best to challenge them to aim even higher.

“I would love Andrea to be recognised for the difference she has made to so many children and families.”

Also in contention is Laura Roberts, a teacher at Poppleton Ousebank Primary School, who has been nominated by Tracy Butler and her daughter, Ellie.

Ms Butler said: “She goes above and beyond everything that she needs to do as a teacher, delivering outside classes in her own time and free of charge.

“She has also spent lots of time taking the children to lots of lovely places in her own time to places they would never have been able to go.”

• Entries have now closed for The Press’s Community Pride Awards, which we are running in conjunction with City of York Council and Benenden Healthcare Society.