Redland City salutes Young Legends

Dedication, selflessness, passion and leadership are the hallmarks of six exceptional young Redlanders who have been recognised by Redland City Council at its inaugural Young Legends Awards.

The event, coinciding with Queensland Youth Week, was organised to salute the outstanding contributions of local young people.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the calibre of the award’s 39 finalists had made selecting the winners of the inaugural awards a tough but heart-warming task.

“As young people are our future, I have great confidence in what that future holds for our Redlands Coast,” Cr Williams said. “The dedication, drive and passion of our finalists shows just how fortunate we are as a community.”

Cr Williams said that many young people had been hard hit by COVID-19 and too often were unfairly criticised because of the actions of small minority

“There are so many talented, dedicated and inspiring young people who are quietly doing great things in our community,” Cr Williams said.

“During the pandemic, more than 120 local young people signed up to the Volunteering Queensland Care Army or registered to become emergency volunteers. They are among the many young people volunteering, they are our unsung young legends of Redlands Coast.

“Redland City Council wanted to acknowledge these dedicated young people and give them the recognition they deserve.”

The winners:

Young Legend of the Year (under 18) – Harry Taske

“Harry is a very community-minded young man indeed. In addition to his sporting achievements, he has shown a passion for helping others in need as a volunteer since he was just 8 years old, working with organisations that support those who are less fortunate, especially the homeless and those affected by domestic and family violence, and rallying the community to provide desperately needed support,” Cr Williams said.

Young Legend of the Year (over 18) – Jacob Nicholls

“Jacob is such a positive, kind and caring young man. He has been an outstanding role model, from his volunteer work at local community radio station BayFM to his ongoing support in the fight against mental health issues in our community. He also volunteers at Mission to Seafarers Brisbane and with our SES,” Cr Williams said.

Community Commitment – Zoe Bodle

“Zoe is a high achiever who has shown a tireless commitment to organisations such as Scouts and Capalaba Venturers, and is a very proud volunteer at Agoonoree, a camp run by Scouts Queensland to provide children with special needs the opportunity to experience a Scout camp,” Cr Williams said.

Environment and Sustainability – Layne Utz

“Layne began picking up litter in 2018 by himself, giving up countless hours to keep our environment rubbish free. He also created his Litter Legends group on Facebook to inspire other volunteers to help save our environment. The dedication and selflessness of this young man is amazing and we are lucky to have him keeping Redlands Coast naturally wonderful,” Cr Williams said.

Sports Leadership and Achievement (under 18) – Delonte Lavender

“Delonte has had huge impact on his peers, school and greater community and is an inspiration to all through his sporting and school achievements, as well as his leadership qualities. He leads by example, fostering culture, respect and reverence in the local basketball community and Capalaba State College, as well as the greater Redlands Coast community,” Cr Williams said.

Sports Leadership and Achievement (over 18) – Ben Cooper

“Ben has been an active member of Cleveland Air Magic, Australia’s premier rope skipping club, since 2011, competing at an elite level both in Australia and around the world. He has shown true leadership qualities to become a valuable coach as well as one of the highest qualified judges in Australia. Ben freely gives of his time and experience and always goes the extra mile to help young athletes reach their goals,” Cr Williams said.

Digital stories about local youth organisations, which were created by Council’s Redlands Coast Young Leaders group, in partnership with SplashZone Media, were also presented at the event.

“These youth organisations work with young people to help them achieve goals, seek opportunities and learn new skills. These are inspiring stories and well worth seeing,” Cr Williams said.

The presentations – from Running Wild, Headspace, YMCA, the Cage Youth Foundation and Redlands PCYC – can be seen by linking from Council’s website at redland.qld.gov.au.

“We are fortunate as a community to have groups such as these who are dedicated to helping young people be the best they can be and making Redlands Coast such a great place to be,” Cr Williams said.