Every year a bursary is made to a young person from Thornaby in memory of Alan Robson who passed away aged 61 in 2009.
Alan Robson set up Five Lamps over 28 years ago, under its former name Thornaby Impasse, to help the unemployed. Since then, the organisation has broadened its remit and now helps people to find work, start their own business, improve their finances and provide activities for young people, delivering these services across the North East and Yorkshire.
Now in it’s fifth year, the bursary was presented to a young person as part of Five Lamps 30 year Celebration Event.
The ‘Alan Robson Outstanding Young Person Award’ went to Megan Duffy,
Megan has been attending Five Lamps’ Youthy for approximately two years, like many similar young people Megan was one to follow the crowd after being identified as part of a larger group, been involved or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Megan was one of many names that were referred to The Youthy to attend an anti-social positive activity sessions, which is being delivered through Five Lamps, Youth Direction and The Thorn Project since March 2014. Megan was identified as needed support offered through our partnership work.
Megan was one of the young people for me that stood out from the rest, always wanting to get involved in any workshops or trips that were being delivered. The Youthy had an opportunity to be involved in creating a project that would be beneficial to others through Star Bucks. Saving Tees Valley met with Megan and two of her friends supported by a member of staff to come up with an idea that was worth £2000.00 involvement in the project. Megan’s quick thinking came up with a project working around supporting the homeless across the Borough. Megan and her friends had to deliver the project presentation to the Saving Tees Valley panel, in which they were very successful and secured the £2000.00 fund to deliver the project, collecting food and clothing to support homeless young people across the Borough.
Megan is very passionate about this project as she knows the impact it can have on young people after seeing a family member go through times of being homeless and now turning his life around.
Megan has proved that people can change and as a result of her leadership and maturity Megan has been considered as a youth mentor to offer support to other young people.
Alan, a father of six from Thornaby, had been chronically ill before he died suddenly of a heart attack. His wife Joan has been involved in the Alan Robson Bursary with Five Lamps since it was established in 2009
Joan said:
“Now in its fifth year, Alan would be amazed to have seen a bursary set up in his name to help local young people. He was always enthusiastic about young people getting help like this”