INSPIRATIONAL young people were honoured at the Southend YMCA’s second Youth Awards yesterday afternoon.

Award winners, family members and local dignitaries enjoyed an uplifting afternoon at the Park View Suite, in Chalkwell Park, as the town’s youth showed off their best side.

Here we see the award winners thanking the YMCA for what it has done for them.

The afternoon also saw Ron Wright, chair of the Southend YMCA trustees, celebrate his 70th birthday and he was honoured with a special Young People's Champion award.

The assembled crowd even took a moment out of the prize giving ceremony to sing happy birthday to Ron and Gerald Melish, the father of the modern day Southend YMCA, who was also celebrating his birthday.

Award winners:

Community impact award – Kelsey Hibberd, 20, Cheapside West, Rayleigh

Youth, arts and culture award – Alicia Caines, 15, Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff

Learning and participation award – Molly Shurben-Hayes, 17, Glenwood Avenue, Westcliff

Young volunteer award – Rachel Manning, 18, Common Road, Great Wakering

Young fundraiser award – Michael Berry, 19, Wenham Drive, Westcliff

Health ambassador award – Lewis Brooks, 16, Eastwoodbury Crescent, Southend

Personal journey award – Shelley Braybrook, 22, Gipsom Park Close, Eastwood

Overcoming adversity – George, 21, Southend

The Gerald Melish award – Leigh Baptist Church Young Fundraisers

The young people’s champion award – Ron Wright, Southend YMCA, chair of trustees

Beki Ali award – Southend Vocational College

For more photos and to hear from all the award winners pick up a copy of Monday's Echo.