Ex-tearaway Lori Boyd is best of UK’s youth
Dec 5 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal
A FORMER teenage tearaway who turned her life around by getting involved in charity work will feature in a high-profile campaign showcasing the best of the nation’s youth.
Lori Boyd is one of only 19 young people across the country chosen for inclusion in the Government’s 19 Under 19s campaign, which aims to show the true image of today’s teenagers.
Lori, 19, from Cramlington, Northumberland, and the 18 other youngsters will become the faces of the nation’s youth in the Department for Children, Schools and Families campaign – after being nominated by local authority and community groups.
They have been selected because they are inspiring role models, making an active contribution to their local area and a positive difference to their own lives.
Lori was put forward by StreetGames, a national charity which develops doorstep sports activity for young people in disadvantaged communities. She will now feature in a national photography campaign staged in partnership with Metro newspaper.
In her younger days Lori found herself on the wrong side of the law and in the dole queue with few qualifications, but decided it was time to make changes in her life.
Keen to work with children, she joined the Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteers scheme which saw her working at the Northburn Centre in Cramlington on a range of sport and dance camps for young people.
She has gone on to take coaching courses in handball and food hygiene, helped with catering at children’s camps and helped launch sessions at the centre which teach youngsters about sport and healthy eating.
Yesterday Lori said: “I was heading down a bad path and I knew I’d have to pull my act together. The trouble was, I didn’t have any qualifications so ended up on the dole not doing anything. Then I found out about the volunteering scheme that StreetGames and the Co-op run, which has really helped me. For the first time in ages I actually enjoy getting up in the morning.
“I’m already much better than I thought I would be at working with others, and I’m more confident in front of people. It has definitely steered me away from the streets and towards a more positive future.”
Carl Anderson of StreetGames said: “Lori is a great example to other young people because she has taken it upon herself to make changes in her life, and hasn’t relied on chances coming her way.”
