Trafford Council employee Oliver Sykes and Sophie Willan, who founded non-profit writing organisation, Stories of Care in 2015, have been invited to the Palace next month to receive the prestigious British Citizen Award (BCA) in recognition of their services to the arts. The pair will receive the coveted BCA Medal of Honour and will be invited to use the post-nominals BCAa as a legacy of their achievement.
Oliver, Events Co-ordinator for Waterside Arts in Sale, is especially thankful to Trafford Council as Stories Of Care received £2,000 funding from the Trafford Council Inclusive Neighbourhood Grant Scheme as a cash-injection to support their most recent project, which involves working specifically with young people from care experienced and single-parent backgrounds in Trafford.
Stories of Care is an organisation that develops the stories of unheard voices and empowers marginalised young people to become creative leaders and tell their own stories. The organisation, which has written novels, published anthologies, made television, radio, stand-up and theatre, works exclusively with exceptional new writers from diverse backgrounds whose voices need to be heard and whose stores need to be told.
Both Sophie and Oliver overcame difficult starts in life but used their experiences to overcome challenges to build their own successful careers in the arts world. After which, they’ve actively created progression routes to help other marginalised young people to do the same. Their Children’s Writing and Professional Development Programme provides new writers from marginalised backgrounds with long-term artistic and professional development.
Oliver said:
“In 2020, when Sophie invited me to become the next Lead Artist for Stories Of Care, I came to it with great excitement and a huge sense of responsibility. I hoped to make my own narrative more visible, but I also hoped to empower other (young) writers to do the same.
This year we are working with Manchester Metropolitan University to publish two books: our new anthology of short stories for children, Tales of the Bold, the Brave and the Beautiful, and my own debut piece of Illustrated Fiction called Alfie's First Fight. 2000 copies of each book will be gifted to children-in-care and children from low-income, non-traditional families via Manchester Libraries and our other partner organisations, giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to actually see themselves and their experiences represented in books.
I never expected to be selected to receive the British Citizen Award, which focuses on the work Sophie and I have done since we met in 2012 to improve access to and pathways within the arts industry for young people from marginalised backgrounds. It will be a huge honour to accept our medals next month. And I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way, including Trafford Council, who have been a brilliant backer of our work - thank you so much!"
The presentation of the British Citizen Award, which recognises extraordinary, everyday people for exceptional endeavour, will be hosted by TV presenter Tim Vincent, and attended by BCA Patron Dame Mary Perkins, Founder of Specsavers, and Baroness Caroline Cox.
Cllr Graham Whitham, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Partnerships, said:
“We want all children in Trafford to have a fair start and it is lovely to see the amazing work Oliver and Sophie are doing with care leavers and children-in-care both locally and nationally. I am so pleased they are to receive the British Citizen Award and delighted that Trafford Council has been able to support Stories of Care with a Trafford Inclusive Neighbourhood Grant.
Thank you so much to you both for all your hard work and care.”
Posted on Tuesday 15th February 2022