YMCA aims for hat-trick after award nominations

The head of a youth charity in Stoke-on-Trent has described her first year in the role as "joyful" as the organisation celebrates a series of award nominations.

Nikki Twemlow, chief executive of YMCA North Staffordshire, said the city had a strong culture of collaboration and that the organisation wanted "the best for the young people".

"We do have challenges, we can't deny that, but I think what is unique to us is our ability to come together to celebrate each other," she said.

The charity has been nominated for YMCA of the Year, as well as receiving nominations in other categories at the Youth Matters Awards.

"This is just about giving young people an opportunity to be the best they can be," she said, adding the partnerships her organisation had formed was part of the reason they had been shortlisted.

The organisation has twice won the award and was now hoping to complete a hat-trick of victories.

Twemlow said young people often returned to thank them for the work they had done, and that the opportunity to stand on stage at an award ceremony would be an "incredible" way to counter the negative reputation the city is sometimes seen as having.

"I love this city, and I think if there was an opportunity that I could be more involved in supporting young people then I could use my gift to give that to other people, then why not?"

Twemlow has also been recognised with an MBE for services to philanthropy and to the community in the city – although she is yet to collect her medal.

"I think what is unique to Stoke is that partnership, people just rally behind trying to make something happen," she said.

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