BYA (Black Youth Achievements) are a London based award winning social enterprise who believe that “There is a success story within everyone” Vision: equality of opportunities for and positive representations of our young people. Mission: to be a vehicle of change. Becoming a voice that is not afraid to challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes. Creating a platform of youth leadership and role models who will break down social barriers and lead the way for future generations to aspire, excel and achieve. Founded in 2008, the organisation has quickly established itself as an innovative leader within the community. In November 2009 BYA hosted the UK’s first ever NATIONAL awards ceremony which set out to recognise and reward the talents, positive actions and personal accomplishments of black youth. More often than not, black youth are misrepresented as under-achievers or involved in criminal activities and are rarely acknowledged for their everyday successes and contributions within industries such as the arts, education and business. The BYA Awards challenge this perception and are proud to promote the real image of young black individuals and create strong role models for future generations. The BYA Awards are aspiring to be the UK’s premier ceremony of recognition for young people of Black Caribbean / Black African heritage and look forward to hosting the event in different cities from 2013 and internationally in the future. Apart from the annual awards, BYA are involved in personal and career development. They were funded in 2010 by The National Lottery and held a Careers Fair in Lambeth Town Hall. The day provided an opportunity for young people to explore the many opportunities available to them either through education, employment or enterprise. Many attendees went on to further training, securing jobs and starting their own businesses. There will be a number of new events and projects introduced in 2012 so please keep up to date with BYA here and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BYA.UK Twitter @byacic #BYA #BYARevolution LinkedIn: Black Youth Achievements "Join the movement. Create a revolution. There is a success story within everyone"