A Weymouth College student has been honoured by the Police Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill after being nominated for a Youth Award to mark her contribution in making Dorset a safer place to live.
Crystal-Lily Mills who is in care and lives with a foster family, started at the college in 2013 as a step-up student before progressing onto Public Services Level 2 and now Level 3. She has been working tirelessly over a number of projects all designed to help communities across Dorset.
Despite being under 18, Crystal’s commitment to these projects has seen her speak at conferences such as the ‘No Excuse for Abuse Domestic Violence Conference’ in November 2014. At the conference she spoke about her own experiences of being a child affected by domestic abuse to an audience of more than 200 professionals. Crystal was nominated for the award by her foster carer Angie Boast who says that Crystal is an inspiration to young people.
Of the award, Crystal said:
“Thank you to Simon and Fiona Rayne’s, Angie Boast and Dawn Ball for keeping me up when I was down to carry on with my work. You are all a credit to me and everyone around you.” Alongside her domestic abuse work, Crystal was elected as a Dorset member of the UK Youth Parliament in February 2015 and has been a long serving member of the Dorset
Youth Council (DYCE). Her voluntary work has seen her work recently with Enhance Foster Care to review their foster care pack, helping them to update and re-design the brochure which is aimed at younger children.
Crystal is advocate for equality and as well as studying full-time, she is also the Student Equality and Diversity Representative, and Anti-Bullying Ambassador. She has completed her National Citizen Award, taken part in the Dorset PCC Take It Over Day, contributed towards the Young Peoples Police and Crime Plan, and has even spoken about work and low pay at the Tolpuddle Festival.
