16 days of Young Achievements

Over the next 16 days we’ll be revealing details of 16 award Winners – these will be eight winners and eight runners up (four people for each category) who were shortlisted and selected by our Judges at the end of 2009. They will be attending a Celebration Day at Amnesty International in London on 5th February.

On Day 1 we congratulate Peter Forrest who is the winner of the Environment Award in the 20-25s category . Here’s his story.

Peter Forrest, 20, was bullied at school, faced anger management issues and is dyslexic. He had reached the point of near exclusion and at the age of 15 faced a very uncertain future. At this critical juncture, Peter was offered the prospect of working with Dream Achievers, a charity providing young people the opportunity to work outdoors with canal boats. Through this organisation and Peter’s own dedication, enthusiasm and hard work he turned his life around.

Peter volunteered for one day per week,on the condition he completed his schooling. He did this and despite his difficulties gained 4 GCSE’s.

After leaving school he opted to continue with Dream Achievers and within a short space of time his involvement and responsibilities grew. By the age of 17, Peter became the youngest person within the organisation to gain a National Qualification in Boat Management. His confidence and sense of purpose increased and he was soon volunteering to spend 18 months on an environmental project in Finland.

Emboldened by his Finnish experiences, Peter returned to Dream Achievers and continued to add to his impressive list of accomplishments. His natural leadership abilities led to him captaining a boat at a three day canal festival. He assembled and organised the entire crew and sailed in conjunction with 39 other boats, in front of a crowd of 10,000.

Overcoming previous difficulties speaking in public, Peter participated at various conferences. At an event in Naples, gathered to look at ways of combating truancy, Peter’s presentation received a standing ovation from the 150 delegates. In the UK, Peter spoke at a multi agency conference on behalf of a pupil whom he mentored, and who like Peter a year earlier, was facing the prospect of expulsion from school. Indeed it was the very same conference where Peter’s own case had been heard.

Peter now skippers a boat providing homeless people with skills through environmental and conservation work. As if that wasn’t enough he has taken sole charge for preparing a business case to take a group of younger volunteers on a week’s residential training and research course. To get the project off the ground, he is working hard to secure external funding for the venture. Peter’s impact on the project and the community in general has been considerable. He has visited other Community Boat projects increasing the profile of Dream Achievers and hosted visitors from the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Chair of the National Youth Justice Board.

Peter’s story is an inspirational one and through his outstanding achievements he provides many of the young people he now works with a great example.

His own remarkable development is perhaps best summed up by his nominator Trevor Roberts:

“Peter has matured into a confident, responsible and caring individual. He displays natural leadership skills and is popular with older and younger volunteers, trainees and staff”.

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