Cygnet Youth Awards 2025

The 2025 Cygnet Youth Awards, held at the Elgiva Theatre on April 23rd, was a spectacular evening celebrating the remarkable achievements of young people across South Buckinghamshire. The event brought together inspiring nominees, outstanding winners, generous sponsors, and a supportive community, all united in recognizing the dedication and talent of the next generation.

From individual honours to group achievements, each nominee exemplified resilience, leadership, and creativity. A special congratulations to Rahul Rathinam VijayAnand, who was named Young Person of the Year—a well-deserved recognition of his incredible contributions. Rahul demonstrated extraordinary courage when he witnessed an elderly woman collapse, unconscious and vulnerable. Without hesitation, he sprang into action, his quick thinking and calm demeanour in a life-or-death situation making all the difference. The Chesham Rugby Under 16s (Group Award) also earned praise for their perseverance, culminating in their Bucks Plate victory after years of dedication and teamwork. Teddy and Amber (Fundraising and Community Award) were celebrated for their incredible fundraising efforts for Chiltern Toy Bank. Ayla Watkins (Sport Award) was recognized for being a passionate advocate for girls' sports, leading the girls’ rugby team at Chesham Grammar School. Asha Mistry (Arts Award) has shown incredible dedication to her guitar playing, becoming a highly talented musician capable of performing a wide range of styles at an advanced level. Susie-Mae Rose (Young Carer Award) has clearly demonstrated the true spirit of a young carer—showing patience, constant encouragement, and unwavering commitment. The love, warmth, and positive attitude Susie-Mae displayed toward a fellow student were clearly genuine and deeply impactful.

And of course, we couldn’t have done it without our incredible host, the amazing Ninia Benjamin, who once again brought her energy, warmth, and charisma to the stage. A special shoutout to the amazingly talented Ethan Knight, whose breathtaking singing kept us entertained throughout the event. A thank you to all the young people of Chesham Youth Council for all their hard work and time for organising and putting on the event with the help of their 2 adult mentors Emily and Alan.

Most importantly, we want to thank everyone who attended, showing their enthusiasm and encouragement for the young leaders of tomorrow. Your presence made the evening even more memorable, and we truly appreciate your support in celebrating our incredible youth.

As we look ahead to the 2026 Cygnet Youth Awards, we remain committed to spotlighting young changemakers and celebrating their impact.