Academy of Success: Active Citizen and Participation Awards 2026

Merthyr Tydfil’s Academy of Success held its annual awards ceremony on Thursday 18^th June 2026 at Merthyr Tydfil Football Club. The awards celebrate the achievements of young people aged 11–25, as well as organisations across Merthyr Tydfil County Borough.

The Youth Service is committed to developing independent, confident and active citizens, and these awards provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the outstanding accomplishments of young people participating in extra‑curricular activities and dedicating themselves to volunteering.

The event was opened by His Worship the Mayor, David Issac, and featured BBC journalist Eleri Griffiths as guest speaker, who inspired the audience with her journey into journalism.

The evening’s comperes, representing the young people of Merthyr Tydfil, were members of Merthyr Tydfil’s Youth Cabinet alongside pupils from Cyfarthfa High School. One of the event hosts said they loved the experience, calling the awards “a celebration of young people who rise above challenges and inspire others through determination, kindness, and resilience.” The atmosphere throughout the night was vibrant, the proceedings ran seamlessly, and the young people thoroughly enjoyed hosting this highly successful youth‑led event.

Event organisers from Safer Merthyr Tydfil and Merthyr Tydfil Borough Wide Youth Forum received a high level of positive feedback, with one attendee stating that “it was an incredibly positive experience for everyone involved” while another expressed their delight at witnessing “such an empowering opportunity for young people”.

These awards shine a light on the dedication and achievements of our hard‑working young people, many of whom do not always recognise just how talented, inspiring and supportive they truly are.

There were 11 awards in total, and the winners were as follows:

• Young Achiever of the Year Award (Youth or Community setting) – Haydn Miller, Snakes ‘N’ Ladders
• Volunteer of the Year Award, Age 11-16 – Connor Griffiths, Cyfarthfa High School
• Volunteer of the Year Award, Age 17-25 – Shannon Irving, Snakes ‘N’ Ladders
• Duke of Edinburgh Award (Gold or Silver) – Greenfields School, Gold Award Group
• Youth Sport Award of the Year – Fallon Hood, Caz Richards and David Bunce, Greenfields School
• Best Innovative Project of the Year – Inspire2 Achieve & Afon Taf High School’s Eggseeds
• Group Project: Tackling Personal and Social Issues that affect Young People – Year 11 Girls’ Group, Treharris Boys and Girls Club
• Creative Industries: Art, Culture and Media – Adam Lee, Ad-Lib Productions
• Provision of the Year – Gellideg Foundation Youth Club
• Outstanding Use of the Welsh Language Award – Clwb Cymraeg Ysgolion, The URDD
• Outstanding Volunteer of the Year – Nerys Wilkes, MTBWYF

Congratulations to every young person nominated this year.  Your commitment and effort shine through, and you should all be incredibly proud. Thank you to everyone who came along, supported the event, and helped make this year’s Academy of Success such a memorable and successful occasion.