Access All Areas Wins The Art & Culture Award at the 2013 Children and Young People Now Awards
Access All Areas was short listed for the Art and Culture Award and Jane Bennett volunteer and organiser of Just Chill @ The Studio was short listed for Children and Young People's Champion. So someone had to represent Loose, Access All Areas and Just Chill- Jane and I volunteered, oh the hardship!
Wednesday 27th Nov saw us hot footing it down to Fulham to The Hurlingham Club for a three course meal and entertainment!
We missed the champagne reception (not that either of us would have drunk it!) due to the fact that Jane had driven down and the sat nav was taking us to the workman's entrance round the back! Perhaps it was telling us something! We finally arrived at the front and moved confidently to our table - once our names had been checked off the list- it really was like the awards venues you see on the tele, circular tables, free wine and lots of glamorous people- and that's just me and Jane!
I think it is important to mention that neither of us had a drop of alcohol- due to Jane driving and I don't drink anyway- so we where giddy on the free water on the tables.
We really did get excitable as the hour arrived for the awards. We had a speech thrown in from Ex Liverpool and England footballer Mark Wright, due to his support of fostering and adoption- other than that the awards went swiftly by all 21 of them delivered in just one hour.
It came to the category for The Arts and Culture Award and it was good to hear and see Access All Areas mentioned and shown on the big screen. There were nine dominated, we were up against the likes of M6 Theatre Company and DanceQuest Programme, The Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts so although I think the project deserve it, the competition was tough.There had already been a winner on our table so we though that was it ,spreading the awards out through the room.
When I heard the winner Access All Areas I thought, "that's the same name as our project" then I realised it was us! Jane and I were called out to the stage to receive it. I could get used to that, receiving awards!
We took the congratulations from the table and awaited the Children and Young People's Champion Awards Jane was short listed for.
I had given Loose Director Jaki Florek, a photo of Jane to send up for her to appear on the big screen- it had been photoshopped so it was understandable that after Jane had been announced as Highly Commended in her category the usher couldn't find her in the crowd- they kept looking over and whispering things like ...'is it..it that her'.. we found this hilarious obviously as we couldn't believe we had two awards to bring back up to sunny Widnes!
All the awards delivered, more photographs taken and chat with fellow nominees from St Helens and the dancing began- we didn't want to win best dancers as well so we thought we had better say goodnight- leaving at around 11pm we reached home at 4.30am! It was worth it, a great night and a great achievement- well done all!