The Reconnect Outstanding Individual Award

For an individual who has gone above and beyond to help children and young people in Kent reconnect to their pre-pandemic lives.

Won by Kelly Walker of Youth Resilience UK

Kelly was nominated by the parent of a 15 young old boy with autism who had become disengaged at school and was getting into trouble. His mental health suffered greatly during lockdown, and he found it really hard to learn in his home environment. By the time he went back to school his self-esteem and his behaviour was at an all-time low.

Kelly met with him every week and gave him so much support and guidance that his life was turned around completely. His moods lifted, his self-esteem soared, and it kept him off the streets. Kelly also supported his parents, and now they're seeing their son go back to the child he was before lockdown.

What sets Youth Resilience UK apart is Kelly’s strong ethos of providing continuous, positive support to children and families. They don’t place time limits on interventions, so children are supported throughout their journey and no child is left in the dark.

Youth Resilience UK is a community interest company that aims to use a restorative approach to help young people build resilience by understanding their relationships, their choices and how they fit in to the world they live in. They provide support to schools, residential settings, young people's care homes, youth clubs, Scouts and Guides. They also work with housing associations and councils to support working with families. For more information, visit the Youth Resilience UK website.