Youth app wins top technology award

An app created and developed by Welsh-speaking youth club members in south Powys to provide information about youth activities, has won a prestigious technology award. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The project @cymraegdepowys won the Level 1 Best Core Digital Project at the O2 Think Big Digital Awards, held at the O2 Hub in London last month (December). The project beat nine others from across the UK to win this technology award. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Supported by O2, Think Big is a youth programme that provides young people aged 13-25 with opportunities to set up projects to make a difference to their own lives and to the well-being of their communities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Originally called ‘Dwy iaith dau gyfle’, the project was first thought up by young people from Welsh language youth club Clwb Ystrad, based in Ystradgynlais, in a youth information session back in September 2014. The aim of the project was to provide as much information about youth activities within Powys County Council’s Youth Service everyday so that young people could find out what was going on within various areas as well as what other activities were happening with other youth organisations. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The app was created at the beginning of 2015 and included information of Welsh language activities within the county as well as links to the club’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. It also included a contact form so that young people could get in touch for further information along, a participation form stating the various activities that the young people would like to do and an online feedback form for activities that happened previously. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The project was shortlisted as semi-finalists for the O2 Think Big Digital Awards after the app won an award for Best use of Digital and Technology at a celebration event in Birmingham last autumn where the young people explained what the app did after meeting with other groups that were funded under the Think Big programme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Before making it into the final, the young people produced a three minute video along with how the project helped them individually and their submission was successfully short-listed for the final awards. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The evening of the awards, the video produced by the young people was played to all finalists and a judging panel consisting of technology and O2 experts, who decided the winner of the Level 1 Best Core Digital Project Award. The app will now be developed into a youth service app for young people, created by young people. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Graham Brown, Cabinet Member for Youth Services, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and I would like warmly congratulate all those who took part in developing this app for winning this award. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“To win a prestigious national award is never easy so these young people should take great delight in what they have achieved. Using the latest technology to develop this app, they have made a huge difference to how other young people access youth service activities in the area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Their work has been recognised at this highest level with the accolade and everyone involved in this project should feel proud of their success.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​