Youth Citizen Award Winner: Jasmine Hay

From using her own pocket money to help feed the homeless and lending a hand at the charity Curry on the Street to check up on those sleeping rough in Nelson, Jasmine’s heart is as big as Lancashire itself! And her efforts didn’t go unnoticed!

Meet Jasmine Hay, the unstoppable force of kindness from Nelson, who has made a big impact across our local community. Her dedication to helping others earned her a nomination for the Youth Citizen Award, along with 49 other inspiring young people across Lancashire.

Jasmine is not your average 10-year-old; she’s a superhero in the making, armed with a determination to help everyone around her, involving herself in many activities that contribute positively to her town. She regularly volunteers to feed the homeless, using her own pocket money to buy food for those in need. And she doesn’t stop there; Jasmine often prepares and makes the food herself.

For Jasmine, kindness isn’t just a hobby – it’s a way of life. She hopes to inspire others to do the same and believes that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. “I would tell my friends and everyone to be grateful they are lucky enough to have somewhere to live and food to eat. I am very proud of myself that I can help people. I want to keep doing it!”

Jasmine’s mum, Michaela Hay, said, “It started with her volunteering at Curry on the Street. You get to know where people go to help out at night. Everything is close by in Nelson Centre; she just wanted to check up on them and make sure they had hot food to eat herself.”

 “There’s a man that stays in his tent all the time when she visits, but he will always speak to Jasmine when she’s there,” said Michaela.

And her giving spirit doesn’t just stop here. Jasmine takes classes at Helen Green Dance Academy in Colne, where she takes part in competitions regularly. But her love for dance is not just confined to the stage! Along with her dance group, Jasmine visits local care homes each year to entertain the residents with their performances.

In addition to dancing, Jasmine attends Cubs and Brownies, where she learns important life skills each week!

Her dedication to helping others caught the attention of her grandma, Trish Judson, who secretly nominated her for the Youth Citizen Award. When they received the email informing them that Jasmine had made it to the finals, Trish told the family.

“I was really excited and happy. And I felt really grateful to be there with everyone, but I was a little bit nervous!”

“Jasmine was really confused at first and had no idea she was nominated as we didn’t put her name down for it, but my mum did! It was a big surprise to everyone, but we were thrilled.” grinned Michaela.

She was presented with an award at a ceremony on March 7th at Lancashire Police Headquarters in Hutton by the High Sheriff of Lancashire, David Taylor, Assistant Chief Constable Karen Edwards and Russell Millhouse from the University of Central Lancashire.

Jasmine’s family, including her mum, Michaela, dad, Andy and grandma Trish, were there to support her and celebrate her achievement.

“I was really excited and happy. And I felt really grateful to be there with everyone, but I was a little bit nervous!” Jasmine smiled.

As Jasmine continues her journey of service, she encourages everyone to recognise the importance of gratitude and to extend a helping hand to those in need. Her story is a testament to the impact that even the youngest members of society can have when they choose to make kindness a priority.

ColneLife May/June 24