A new Mayor’s Award for extraordinary under 18 year-olds has been launched in Builth Wells

The town’s mayor Councillor Mark Hammond would like to recognise and celebrate young people who face hardships and challenges but overcome adversity, show fantastic community spirit or exhibit extraordinary bravery.

So he is inviting families, members of the public or teachers to contact him and tell him about the fantastic youngsters they know.

The youngsters would need to have overcome adversity, display fantastic community spirit or exhibit extraordinary bravery. They must live in Builth Wells and they must be under 18.

The Mayor will then undertake the difficult task of choosing one person from an amazing group of individuals.

He will award the chosen individual a cash donation of £250 from his personal Mayor’s Allowance, as well as a certificate of appreciation, to show them how important they are to the community and to hopefully make their Christmas a bit more memorable.

Councillor Hammond said: “The last few years have been hard on our children and young people; from Covid through to the current economic pressures and particularly the uncertain and unsettling political climate around the world. 

“Throughout all of this they have had to get on with their lives as best as they can. 

“There are those amongst them who have had and continue to have significant daily struggles, in which they show a remarkable capacity to face these challenges and seek to overcome them, managing difficult emotions such as fear, anger, and self-doubt. 

“Then there are those who make positive and significant contributions to our community life, which could be classed as being "above and beyond the call of duty", as well as those who have or are showing courage in the face of danger or showing exceptional bravery in a specific situation. 

“Having thought about the issues and reflected on my dealings with children and young people in my career as a Police Officer and then in Social Services, I decided that as Mayor, I was in a position to do something positive in order to recognise their struggles and achievements. 

“To this effect, I launched the Under 18’s Award. 

“Although there can only be one recipient, it does not mean that the other stories of overcoming adversity, showing courage or community spirit will go unnoticed. Where necessary, I will look to follow up on these.”

Send your nominations to clerk@builthwellstowncouncil.org.uk before December 1 2025.

The Mayor will then make his decision and inform the person making the nomination, as well the individual, during the week commencing December 8