Shannon Fletcher wins BBC Radio 1 Teen Award

A local teenager won a BBC Radio 1 Teen Award in the ‘Inspiring Others’ category last night.

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Shannon Fletcher national Teens Award

Shannon Fletcher, 17, an apprentice on the Bridges project at Volunteer Centre Sutton, was presented her award live on stage at Wembley Arena at the Awards, which were co-hosted by Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw and chart-buster Rita Ora.

She was nominated by Derek Terrell, Project Manager for Bridges, a youth employability project, run from the Volunteer Centre Sutton, where she has been working for the last three months.

“What makes Shannon so remarkable is that she has risen to so many personal challenges and because of these life experiences, she speaks with real authority and helps her peers to see, and plan, for a positive future” said Derek.

Shannon had a disjointed childhood, during which she moved over 20 times, was separated from siblings and parents, and teetered on the verge of homelessness. During this time, she  was supported by  MAPS (Mentoring, Advocacy & Peer Support), another project that runs from the Volunteer Centre Sutton. 

She now works one-to-one with the young people on the project, and has single-handedly represented Bridges at local government forums, taking on a position of responsibility and receiving praise from a range of professionals for her work and inspiration.

Shannon was at Volunteer Centre Sutton’s staff away day last week, when Radio 1 DJ, Greg James, along with a camera crew, burst in, to reveal she was a winner. 

“I was so shocked to see Greg James that I couldn’t take in what he was saying!” she said.

Shannon enjoyed a whole weekend of being a star, with a central London hotel stay, the chance to go behind the scenes, meet the bands personally  and watch them doing their sound checks.

On Sunday afternoon, she was personally escorted up the red carpet by Greg James, and into a screaming Wembley Arena, packed with 10,000 young people, where she was awarded her prize.