Young people aged from 5 to 17 who excel in what they do, regardless of their background, will be celebrated in the second year of an exciting awards programme to be held at the UK Parliament, Palace of Westminster, London on Tuesday the 30th of April.

The annual Inspire Awards 2024 follow on from the initiative’s launch in the Scottish Parliament last year by the British Youth International College (BYITC), which was founded in 2015 by Glasgow-based academic and educator Dr Rashmi Mantri to help children learn maths.

Inspired by the success of the College, which now runs a series of global franchises, Dr Mantri’s aim is that the second BYITC Inspire Awards will recognise young people from all backgrounds who have excelled in fields including academic, sports, cultural and social, art and creativity as well as all-rounders.

The Awards, spread across five categories and twenty sub-categories, will take place at the Palace of Westminster between 5.30 pm to 7.30pm on Tuesday 30 April 2024 and will be assessed and evaluated by a high-profile judging panel including Professor Bill Buchanan OBE, Professor of Applied Cryptography at Edinburgh Napier University; Rohini Sharma Joshi OBE, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant; Jai Aenugu, Founder of cyber security consultancy TechForce; Brij Gandhi, MBE and many more.

Afzal Khan, the Labour MP for Manchester, Gorton since 2017, will grace the occasion and give away the trophies to the winners.

German Doner Kebab returns as one of the prime supporters of the event along with leading organisations LOANI UK and Inspiring Indian Women. The closing date for nominations is Friday the 15th of March 2024.

Dr Mantri said: “BYITC Inspire Awards are a celebration of diversity and inclusion and aim to empower individuals with curiosity, motivation, confidence, and enthusiasm. BYITC Inspire Awards are an effort to embrace inclusion and to showcase and acknowledge individuals’ hard work and commitment to learning and achieving their goals.

We wish to encourage young people to excel in their respective fields in whatever that they choose to do. They are the future of the country and it is important that their achievements are celebrated.”

She added: “It is equally important that children from all backgrounds are equipped to make their future brighter through expanding their understanding of a variety of subjects and learning to use different tools and practices with which they feel comfortable.

If you know of individuals who have faced challenges and still came out shining, children who are dynamic, empowering, inspiring and committed to changing the world for the better, please nominate them for an award from the categories listed.”

There are five categories in the BYITC Inspire Awards 2024 and 20 plus prizes. These are:

Academics

• Stem Wizard
• Rising Mental Maths Star
• Whizkid

Sports

• Chess Maestro
• Gymnastics Genius
• Badminton Champ
• Sports Icon

Cultural and Social

• Environment Crusader
• Dance Superstar
• Singing Sensation
• Instrument Maestro 
• Budding Author
• Super Orator
• High Flier – Social Media

Art and Creativity

• Versatile Designer
• Budding Artist

All-rounder

• Young Philanthropist
• Wellness Champ
• Budding Business Tycoons
• Versatile Bright Star

BYITC actively engages in organizing various complimentary events for children as part of its CSR initiatives. These include Creative Writing Workshops, Coding Masterclasses, Olympiads, Summer Classes, and more. For additional details, please refer to the event calendar on the British Youth International College website. 

Dr Mantri set up BYITC after using an abacus to teach her son basic arithmetic. The college now runs global franchises, including Dubai and Sri Lanka, Basingstoke in England, and recently launched its London franchise in Queensberry Northwest.