The Young Kennel Club (YKC) is welcoming nominations for the Young Person of the Year award 2024, which will see five young dog lovers recognised at Crufts. The annual award, which celebrates the dedicated, inspirational and selfless actions of young dog lovers is returning for 2024 and the YKC is calling on the friends and families of its members to put forward those that they believe are deserving of one of the five categories.
The categories are:
- Personal Achievement Award: Celebrating young people who have overcome personal challenges, alongside their dog, as well as the skills they have developed to achieve success in 2023
- Sporting Talent Award: Celebrating young people who showed real passion and dedication for competing or training their dog/s in 2023
- Inspiring Others Award: Celebrating young people and their dogs who, through their positive attitude and inspirational approach, have proved to be a good role model in 2023
- Compassion Award: Celebrating young people who dedicate their time volunteering to help others, and have gone above and beyond expectations in 2023
- Community Award: Celebrating young people who have shown commitment and passion through social action – fundraising, campaigning, activities at school, college or community – for the welfare of dogs in 2023
Izzy King, aged 17, from Maidstone, Kent, won the 2023 award at Crufts earlier this year. Izzy was diagnosed with a vascular malformation tumour in 2020, for which she is still undergoing treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Not only affecting her physical health, the diagnosis had a huge impact on her mental health, and also resulted in her missing 60 per cent of school time. Despite all these setbacks, Izzy passed all of her GCSEs and is currently studying A Levels, with the ultimate career goal of opening her own canine photography studio.
Izzy has been helped through her illness by MIND, and in 2021 she ran an online dog show, raising £2,100 for the charity to say thank you.
Helen Kerfoot, Interim Chief Operations Officer (Canine Activities) at The Kennel Club, said: “The YKC Young Person of the Year award is a real celebration of our hard working and inspiring young members, and the dedication towards their dogs that they have demonstrated this year, and we are so pleased to be recognising and rewarding them once again in 2024.”
The closing date for nominations is 18 December, and the shortlisted nominees from each category will be announced in January before being put forward for a public vote for the overall winner, who will be announced at Crufts 2024 in March.
Anyone can nominate a YKC member in one of the Young Kennel Club Young Person of the Year award categories by visiting The Kennel Club Website.
To find out more about Young Kennel Club membership, visit The Young Kennel Club Page.