Jack Petchey Leader Award Goes To Volunteer Front Of House Leader & Chaperone, Gaenor Young

Gaenor Young, who's been a part of the Hip Hop Pop family since her eldest son was a Hip Hop Pop Schools Clubs student nearly 10 years ago, was awarded a Jack Petchey Leader Award in front of her peers and students yesterday (18th April) at the Harlow Playhouse.

Nominee and leader award winner - Gaenor Young

(Photo: left to right - Matt, Gaenor, Vicky, Elaine)

Gaenor's application read: "Gaenor is so generous with her time and goes above and beyond to make sure all young people at the dance school feel welcome, comfortable and have the assistance they need. Gaenor also volunteers her time to chaperone the young people at performances and has done for many years now. Gaenor always welcomes our young people with a smile and warmth and takes the time to get to know them and their families. At shows, Gaenor is super organised backstage and is a delight to have to look after the young people.'"

The fantastic news came 2 weeks previous, that Gaenor was successful in achieving the award, and we couldn't be more chuffed for her! As a Leader Award winner, the team at HHP, Gaenor and the young people at HHP are able to apply for a Jack Petchey Grant this year.

Gaenor (right) - Jack Petchey Award Winner and FOH/Chaperone Volunteer. Morgan (left) Gaenor's eldest son and HHP member. Bronwyn (centre) Gaenor's youngest daughter and HHP member.

Who is Jack Petchey, did you say?

If you're new to Hip Hop Pop, let us mention before you read on, that the Jack Petchey Foundation has supported Hip Hop Pop for over 12 years, and we are continually grateful for how they encourage and support the young people within the group.

*Sir Jack Petchey set up the Jack Petchey Foundation to inspire young people across London and Essex to work hard and reach their full potential.

Sir Jack is an incredible inspiration to everyone who works at the Foundation. At 94, not only does he come to the office every day, but he does so with positivity and determination to work hard. He was born into a working-class family in the East End in 1925, left school at 13 and then joined the Navy in 1943. After leaving the Navy, he began working as a clerk for a solicitor’s firm. He applied for management training but was told he would never make a businessman.

Sir Jack always says: "If you think you can, you can!"

Instead of giving up, Sir Jack used the £39 he was given from the Navy to buy a second-hand car and started a taxi business. Through hard work, he proved them wrong and built a multi-million-pound empire.

Sir Jack’s experiences led to his passion to increase young people's aspirations by rewarding their achievements. In 2016, Sir Jack received his knighthood in recognition of his many years of charitable work.

*Original Article: https://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk/about-us/who-is-sir-jack-petchey/

Thanks for reading...

If you enjoyed this article - you know what to do, click on the 'heart' icon at the bottom or post to your socials and send it to friends using the sharing icons.

See you soon

Jenny - Bater-Sinclair

Director - Hip Hop Pop

www.hiphoppop.net

Resources, further reading and thank you to:

https://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk/opportunities/grant-programmes/leader-awards/

https://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk/opportunities/grant-programmes/leader-award-grants/