January marks the launch of the first annual Teen Verdict Awards in Brighton & Hove. The Teen Verdict Awards recognize and award local organizations and businesses that provide excellent products, services or facilities for younger people in Brighton & Hove.
There are 45,000 under-18’s native to Brighton & Hove, plus 32,000 students and over 8-million tourists and visitors each year. Operated by young people for young people, the Teen Verdict Awards are the only award scheme to recognize local businesses and organizations from a younger persons perspective.
The awards are open to any business or organization based or delivering products, services or facilities in Brighton & Hove. Entries can be made online or by downloading an entry form from teenverdictawards.co.uk. The closing date for entries is Sunday 5th February 2012. A shortlist of nominees will be announced on Sunday 12th February.
All shortlisted nominees will receive valuable exposure to Brighton & Hove’s 45,000 younger people and Teen Verdict Awards window stickers. Winners will receive a Teen Verdict Award Winner’s Trophy and a prominent listing in 5,000 leaflets promoting the ‘ten best’ in Brighton & Hove that will be distributed directly to young visitors and tourists. Winning or being shortlisted will also give local businesses the opportunity to promote their own success, be it on their website, social media pages or in future advertisements with the local media.
Award categories include:
- Best Customer Service
- Best Venue
- Best Place to Spend a Spare £20
- Best Thrill
- Best Place to Meet People
- Best Place to Make Yourself Beautiful
- Best Quick Meal
- Best Place to Unwind
- Best Place to Keep Fit
- The Wild Card Award
The Teen Verdict Awards is a Young Enterprise (registered charity) company operated by students at Brighton College, Brighton.
Michael Stevenson, Managing Director, Teen Verdict Awards
“Too often younger people are overlooked as consumers. Many young people have experienced poor customer service. However, young people are an important part of the local economy so we wanted to award those local organizations and businesses who value the custom of younger people”
Julia Chanteray, President of the Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce
“There is a diverse range of businesses in Brighton & Hove, many of whom are members of the Chamber of Commerce. With such diversity, it is important to recognise the different strengths of these businesses, so we at the chamber fully support this initiative to recognise companies that particularly appeal to young people in the city. We look forward to finding out which businesses make the grade and hope that these awards help to inspire the business people, and chamber members, of the future!”
Richard Cairns, Headmaster of Brighton College – UK Independent Secondary School of the Year 2011
“The Teen Verdict Awards will, for the first time, give the young people of Brighton & Hove a real voice in the High Street, encouraging local businesses to reach out more imaginatively to the youth market while rewarding those who already do. The scheme has my full and enthusiastic backing.”
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton and Kemptown
“We are lucky here in Brighton to have a vast array of wonderful local businesses providing excellent products and services for young people in Brighton and Hove to enjoy. The Teen Verdict Awards is a great way to highlight these businesses and I am very pleased to support the competition.”
Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove and Portslade
“I fully support the Teen Verdict Awards which set out to promote and highlight the best of our local businesses. The venture is proving to be a unique way to promote the businesses of Brighton & Hove, to and with, the young people who are soon be our next generation of entrepreneurs. I wish all involved well.”
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion
“The Teen Verdict Awards are a terrific opportunity to recognise the work of those businesses in Brighton and Hove which offer the best products and services for our young people – and give teenagers themselves the chance to celebrate local enterprise. Best of luck to all of those taking part, and I look forward to finding out which of our city’s businesses get the teen vote.”
Mike Macfarlane, volunteer business adviser to the Teen Verdict Awards for Young Enterprise
“There is a lot of doom and gloom on the High Street at the moment and almost daily stories about youth unemployment. The Teen Verdict Awards are a reminder that as a city we have some great local organizations and businesses and some exceptionally talented young people with the initiative to create their own success”
The Teen Verdict Awards is also receiving support from the Brighton and Hove council’s official tourism guide to Brighton – Visit Brighton.
For more information please contact:
Michael Stevenson
Managing Director, Teen Verdict Awards
07535363435
info@teenverdictawards.co.uk
www.teenverdictawards.co.uk
Mike Macfarlane
Volunteer business adviser to the Teen Verdict Awards for Young Enterprise
0844 561 0782
mike.macfarlane@newmedium.tv