The Dame Mary Perkins British Citizen Group Award was presented at the October 2025 Roll of Honour ceremony at the Palace of Westminster, celebrating the group’s outstanding commitment to improving the wellbeing and lives of young people across Stockport.
L!STEN is a partnership between Stockport Council and social enterprise PIE: Pursuing Individual Excellence, commissioned in April 2023 to amplify youth voices, address key issues, and ensure feedback informs decision-making across the borough. To make the programme fully inclusive and accessible, a local SEND organisation was also commissioned, ensuring that young people with additional needs are represented and supported throughout.
Cllr Wendy Meikle, Cabinet Member for Children Families and Education
L!STEN has transformed youth engagement in Stockport, giving young people pride, belonging, and a real voice in shaping change. This incredible recognition reflects their achievements and is thoroughly deserved. We congratulate them on the award and thank everyone involved for making the alliance such a success.
Beth Collins, Founder and CEO of PIE: Pursuing Individual Excellence
When we were first commissioned by Stockport Council to run a new Youth Alliance in 2023, we couldn’t have imagined how much the group would achieve in just a couple of years. Thanks to the council’s support and the passion of the young people, an initiative to gather youth voice has grown into something truly impactful - shaping policy decisions, consulting regularly with local leaders, and directly benefiting young people through annual Youth Summits and Wellbeing Festivals. This award not only celebrates their incredible work but also highlights the importance of youth voice and consultation in all council activity. We’re so proud of the L!STEN group - past and present - and can’t wait to see what they do next!
Artemis, a member of the L!STEN Youth Alliance, said “I’ve always wanted to have a career where I could benefit others in some way, but to actually do that at such a young age, it was like a moment of realisation. Our hard work actually resulted in this and people know about us!”
Victoria, another L!STEN member, stated that “Winning this award was the wackiest thing! It’s a really huge deal. It does show that the things we’ve worked hard for have actually paid off and I am so happy for this award.”
Steered by around 20 young people from diverse backgrounds, the L!STEN Youth Alliance is proud to be an inclusive group, with some members having additional needs. Thanks to strong links with other community organisations, L!STEN represents a wide range of perspectives and collects the voices of thousands of young people across Stockport. They have been recognised for initiatives including:
Delivering an inclusive annual wellbeing event designed by young people, for young people.
Running Stockport Youth Summit, an annual event bringing together over 250 students with councillors and community leaders and service providers.
Conducting quarterly surveys of young people, that receive on average over 1,000 responses, with the aim of influencing policy on issues from hate crime to cost of living.
Aligning with local initiatives, such as 5 Ways to Feel Good, to ensure young people’s voices directly influence and impact strategic change in Stockport.
Contributing to the One Stockport One Future Borough Plan, ensuring youth perspectives shape the long-term vision for the borough.
Read more in the End of Two Year Review.
Since 2016, The British Citizen Youth Award (BCyA ) has been recognising young people aged 18 and under, for their positive impact on communities, charities, fundraising, climate awareness activities and other causes. It is the nation’s way of recognising extraordinary, everyday young people for exceptional endeavour and is part of The People’s Honours. Each year, only one group across the UK is selected to receive the Dame Mary Perkins British Citizen Group Award.