#NCLBawards - Shining a light on projects that have made a difference!

37 finalists and 13 sponsors for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) awards 2021 have been announced this week. The awards will celebrate the people and organisations that make Cheltenham a better place for children and young people.

There are 12 categories that the NCLB awards want to shine a light on and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held on Thursday 13 January 2022 at Cheltenham Town Hall.

Cllr Flo Clucas, member for healthy lifestyles at Cheltenham Borough Council, said: "No Child Left Behind means a great deal to all those organisations and people who have been involved. Changing the life chances of our most disadvantaged children is what drives all of them.

"On the night we will celebrate and congratulate those who have given their time, money and resources to make a difference. Cheltenham should be proud of every one of them and I look forward to the awards in January, which would not be possible if it weren't for our fantastic sponsors.

"I am really pleased to welcome Forest Green Rovers FC as our headline sponsor, their support is really valued, and we look forward to working with them."

Mark Owen, editor of Punchline-Gloucester.com, said: "I'm really proud to be able to be involved in this year's awards and to be able to help as much as we can in supporting these fantastic organisations who are making such a difference to children and families."

The list of sponsored categories and finalists are:

#OurTown - Understanding what child poverty is and how it affects our town. The finalists for #OurTown are: Every Cloud Play & Creative Arts Therapy CIC, The Rock, Gloucestershire Bundles and 'Holiday at Home' from The Cornerstone Centre.

#OurTown is sponsored by Evans Jones chartered surveyors and planning consultants 

#PositiveRelationships - Discovering the importance of having good relationships and being kind. The finalists for #PositiveRelationships are: 'Healthy Relationships, Healthy Families' from the Aspire Trust, Family Space's 'Time Out Group' and Gloucester Road Primary School and Nursery.

#PositiveRelationships is sponsored by Infrastar 

#ConfidentGirls - Tackling issues affecting girls, including period poverty and self-esteem. The finalists for #ConfidentGirls are: The Music Works and The Rock. The Rock are shortlisted not just for the organisation as a whole but also for their Young Leadership project.

#ConfidentGirls is sponsored by Hartpury University and Hartpury College 

#StrongFamilies - Building happy and resilient families. The finalists for #StrongFamilies are: Caring Communities and People (CCP) for 'Reaching Families', 'Family engagement and support services' from Move More and The Cornerstone Centre's Play Trail.

#StrongFamilies is sponsored by The Mayflower Cheltenham 

#CelebratingChildhood - Uniting to celebrate the triumphs and talents of our children. The finalists for #CelebratingChildhood are: Gloucestershire Libraries for their children's activities and craft sessions, and Play Gloucestershire for their 'Play to Recover' AND 'Stepping out' projects.

#CelebratingChildhood is sponsored by Evans Jones chartered surveyors and planning consultants 

#AmbitiousCareers - Inspiring children to aim high and achieve their potential. The finalists for #AmbitiousCareers are: Every Cloud Play & Creative Arts Therapy CIC, The Rock and Cheltenham Festivals' Famelab Academy.

#AmbitiousCareers is sponsored by Renishaw plc 

#PhysicallyActive - Children and families across the town coming together to get moving. The finalists for #PhysicallyActive are: Play Gloucestershire's 'Stepping Out', Move More with their 'HAF Summer camps 2021' and Cheltenham Town Community Trust 'Premier League Kicks'.

#PhysicallyActive is sponsored by Gloucester Carpet Outlet 

#FunandFulfilment - Helping children find their strengths and passions. The finalists for #FunandFulfilment are: Cheltenham Town Community Trust's Primary Stars, Cheltenham Borough Homes and The Music Works for their joint project 'St Pauls Music Club and Gloucestershire Libraries' Craft & Creativity sessions.

#FunandFulfilment is sponsored by Punchline-Gloucester.com 

#InnovativeEducation - Cheltenham launches a restorative approach to education. The finalists for #InnovativeEducation are: Gloucester Road Primary School and Nursery, Gloucestershire Libraries and St Paul's Music Club run by Cheltenham Borough Homes and The Music Works.

#InnovativeEducation is sponsored by Gloucestershire College 

#GoodMentalHealth - Finding ways for families to reduce anxiety and have better mental health. The finalists for #InnovativeEducation are: 'Time Out Group' at Family Space, Bags of Play from Play Gloucestershire and Cheltenham Borough Homes' Wellbeing Wednesday digital project.

#GoodMentalHealth is sponsored by Creed Foodservice 

#AchievingBoys - Tackling issues affecting boys, including education and criminal exploitation. The finalists for #AchievingBoys are: Cheltenham Town Community Trust' 'Premier Kicks', Every Cloud Play & Creative Arts Therapy CIC and Cheltenham Festivals with the FameLab Academy.

#AchievingBoys is sponsored by OPS-BOX Group Ltd 

#EatingWell - Helping families to eat well on a budget. The finalists for #EatingWell are: 'Holiday at Home' by The Cornerstone Centre, the #FeedCheltenham campaign and Cheltenham Borough Homes' 'Foodie Fridays'.

#EatingWell is sponsored by Forest Green Rovers Football Club 

No Child Left Behind is also delighted to announce three further sponsors; The Cheltenham Trust who are the venue sponsor for the event, All About Fun who are sponsoring the entertainment zone and Sorted Global who are sponsoring the audio-visual equipment.

To keep up to date with all the latest NCLB awards announcements follow No Child Left Behind on Facebook and twitter @NCLBchelt #NCLBawards.