Volunteers for a leading first aid charity have been recognised as part of its annual National Youth Awards.

Five cadets of the Deeside and Mold branch of St John Cymru have scooped awards for their efforts in the last year.

The annual awards were held at the Royal College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. The awards recognise the achievements and life skills gained by young people from across Wales who make a real difference within their local communities.

Applicants for the awards were carefully assessed on a wide range of criteria. This includes personal skills, such as leadership and team work to interpersonal skills within the community and with peers - where attributes such as kindness, empathy and compassion are evaluated.

This year’s recipients included five from Flintshire. Georgina Seller, 14, was awarded Commandant in Chief, Karl Parker, 18, scooped Young Adult of the Year, Arfon Jones 25, was recognised as Deputy Young Adult of the Year, Bradley Williams 16, received a special commendation for using his first aid skills in an emergency situation and Tracey Sankey-Jones, 37, was awarded Cadet Leader of the Year.

First aid competitions were held in the lead up to the event and offered cadets the opportunity to practice their first aid skills in simulated real-life emergency scenarios; illustrating how they would react in a potentially life-threatening situation.

Not only this, interviews, presentations and group challenges also formed part of the judging criteria which helped the panel choose winners based on overall scores.

Noel Jones, acting member in charge for Deeside said: “It makes me extremely proud to have our youth in North Wales recognised for the dedication and hard work they put in to not just St John Cymru but their daily lives.

“Our youth are the future and the encouragement and support they receive from people like our volunteer Youth Leader Tracy, is paramount to their success.”

Sy Joshua, St John Cymru Director of Youth, said: “We’re delighted to announce this year’s winners and we look forward to seeing how they grow and develop as part of their new role within the organisation.

“This year was one of the toughest years to judge as the calibre of candidates was so high.

“Our youth programme helps children from the age of five to make friends, gain confidence and lead fulfilling lives. Many of our Badgers, Cadets and young adults will go on to work in public services and the health and social care sector, positively contributing to local communities across Wales.”

Can you inspire the next generation of lifesavers? St John Cymru are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated people to become Youth Leaders and assist those from age 5-17 years. Visit www.stjohn.wales/volunteer or call 0300 2011 999.