Her selflessness and passion to help the community is inspirational.
Concerned with a litter-filled city open space, Jasmine Black decided to do something to help.
After discussions with her National Citizen Service (NCS) group, they decided to be proactive and arrange a litter pick at Newcastle’s Leazes Park.
Now Jasmine, who attended Heaton Manor School, now Jesmond Park Academy, has been nominated for the Chronicle Champion Awards in the Green Champion category, sponsored by the Northumbrian Water Group, for her initiative and dedication to working to help the environment.
Jasmine was delighted when she was told about the nomination.
“I’m stunned I was nominated for something like this just for trying to help. I’m sure the team will be happy with the news, you’d have to be stone-hearted not to,” said Jasmine, of Newcastle.
After some brainstorming in the NCS group, Jasmine suggested litter picking to raise awareness that we should be treating the environment better. The 16-year-old said: “I wanted to do something fun, enjoyable, and interactive that the community could get involved in.”
In order to fund the equipment they needed for the teens to pick the litter, they organised two bake sales and a quiz night, raising £82. This was then donated to Friends of Leazes Park, an organisation who help maintain the park, when Newcastle City Council generously offered the necessary supplies to the group.
The litter picker group consisted of fifteen including Jasmine, and the other 14 were; Chloe Broll, Ewan Gray, Hanan Amer, Isaac Selman, Liv Ball, Maheen Masud, Mohammed Oukasha, Muizz Sheikh, Paige Middlemiss, Reece Gordon, Rhys Tippet, Sulaiman Asghar, Ben Moody and Aaliyah Dube. All members were only 16 years old.
Fellow member Reece shares Jasmine’s belief that everyone should be treating the environment better. He said: “Hopefully it will inspire people to second think about their actions instead of throwing it on the floor, to hold it to take it to the bin or to get people to come together, like us, and clean up in their local area.”
The group are hoping that their work will have inspired people in the local community to take better care of the environment around them.
The Chronicle Champions Awards recognise bravery, devotion and selflessness in unsung heroes across the region. This is your chance to thank those people in our community that deserve to be recognised for their extraordinary efforts.
Each category will be judged by a dedicated judging panel and the winners will be then be honoured at the glittering awards ceremony awards dinner.
The event will take place at The Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park on December 4 2019.
