Four Edinburgh people named in Young Scot Awards 2020

Four young people and young members of Intercultural Youth Scotland in Edinburgh have been announced as finalists in the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2020 as judges commended their spirit, dedication and determination.

Young people from across Scotland will be recognised at the awards in September

The Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards recognise extraordinary young people aged 11-26 who improve the lives of people in their community. Finalists from Edinburgh are:

Cody Mcmanus, 11, from Edinburgh who boxed eight young people back to back and in return asked for toy donations for children living in poverty. He filled an entire boxing ring with £12,000 worth of donated toys, which were gifted to 550 local children in time for Christmas.

Jordan McKinley, 24, also known as Jordy Deelight, a drag artist and DJ who refuses to let cystic fibrosis stifle his creativity. Jordy has created stage shows that give an emotional insight into how life is when you have Cystic Fibrosis.

16-year-old Darcey Whalen, who at the end of last year, while having to juggle her studies. Darcey had an operation to try to correct her heart condition, which sadly was unsuccessful. Instead of letting this get her down, she put all her energy into studying.

Roseanna Campbell, 20, who was in care throughout her teens and became homeless at the age of 16, has become a champion volunteer as a way of giving something back to the organisation that helped her in her darkest hour.

The charity’s mission is to make a positive impact in the lives of intercultural young people – ensuring their full integration in society. To help achieve these aims, they run a host of programmes, including a youth club and heritage dance sessions.

The finalists will attend the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards red-carpet ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 7 September 2020. The winners will be announced at the star-studded event, which will be hosted by Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney.

Now in its fourteenth year, the awards highlight the achievements of young people across Scotland. Winners will join a prestigious rollcall including actors such as Karen Gillan and Martin Compston, alongside world-class athletes including Sir Andy Murray and Olympian Laura Muir.

Louise Macdonald OBE, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “We’ve heard so many inspiring stories about incredible young people across Scotland doing outstanding things for their communities. Cody Mcmanus, Jordan McKinley, Darcey Whalen, Roseanna Campbell and the young people at Intercultural Youth Scotland from Edinburgh have gone above and beyond.

“They will be celebrating at home today and we’ll celebrate with them in person at the Young Scot Awards in September.”