Irena Sendler Young Person Award launched by local councils to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

To celebrate the enduring legacy of Irena, the Young Person Award has been introduced to identify and celebrate the positive contributions that young people are making within their local communities. Primary and Secondary schools will be invited to nominate pupils to be recognised for selfless and thoughtful acts and good deeds towards others.

During the Second World War, Irena Sendler, worked tirelessly to help protect and rescue many Jewish children and their families in German-occupied Poland. She was part of a network of workers and volunteers who smuggled Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. She would provide them with false identity documents and shelter them with willing Polish families or in orphanages and other care facilities, saving those children from the Holocaust.

The opening of nominations will coincide with Irena Sendler’s birthday on 15^th February and will close in May with the awards to take place at the Newark and Sherwood Community Awards in September alongside the already established Irena Sendler Humanitarian Award.

Four winners will be chosen and will receive a voucher and certificate and their nominating school will also receive a contribution of £125 towards learning resources.

More information about the Irena Sendler Young Person Award is available on the District Council website: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/irena-sendler-young-person-award/

Councillor Paul Peacock, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “I am absolutely honoured to be able to launch, alongside Newark Town Council, the Irena Sendler Young Person Award. The courage of Irena Sendler to save many Jewish children from the horrors of the Holocaust whilst sacrificing her own safety is an enduring legacy that is still felt today.

“The Irena Sendler Young Person Award will recognise the important acts of selflessness that our younger generation show to their peers and to the wider community. It will also acknowledge that acts of kindness – no matter how big or small – can make a huge impact and change the world for the better. I know we have some absolutely brilliant young people across the district, and I am very much looking forward to reading about all of the amazing things our younger generation have done to help their communities.”

Councillor Diane Ledger, Mayor of Newark Town Council, said: “Newark Town Council is pleased to be able to work alongside colleagues at Newark and Sherwood District Council to introduce this award. The Holocaust stands as a stark reminder of the very worst of humanity. The scars of the Holocaust atrocities will never fully heal. As we come together on National Holocaust Day it is important that we inspire our next generation to emulate the incredible strength of character and compassion shown by Irena Sendler. It is with this award that we can try and encourage our next generation to positively contribute to society with the story of Irena Sendler as an inspiration for doing so.”

Karolina Gorazda, Head of Cultural Heritage at the Polish Cultural Institute in London, said: “As the Polish Cultural Institute, we are deeply proud to see the legacy of Irena Sendler honoured and continued in Newark. After the presentation of the Humanitarian Award in September 2024, we are delighted to see this idea extended to the younger generation through the Irena Sendler Young Person Award. Irena’s unwavering commitment to humanitarianism and selflessness remains a powerful inspiration, reminding us all of the profound impact one individual can have through acts of kindness.

“We are humbled that Irena Sendler is so warmly welcomed in Newark, that she has become a lasting symbol of humanity here, and that her award serves as another reminder of the strong relationship we have built with Newark over the past few years—not only in remembering the heroes of World War II but also in celebrating the vibrant Polish community in the area.”

The launch coincides with Holocaust Memorial Day which this year marks the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945. To mark this poignant day, when communities can get together to remember all victims of genocide, Newark and Sherwood District Council also hosted a wreath laying at the Statute of Irena Sendler. Wreaths were laid by His Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire Air Chief Marshal Rt’d Sir Andrew Pulford, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Manchester Ireneusz Truszkowski, representatives of the Polish Airman’s Association UK, Newark and Sherwood District Council Chair Councillor Jean Hall and Newark Town Mayor Councillor Diane Ledger.

Councillor Jean Hall, Chair of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “It is always a very moving opportunity to lay a wreath at the Irena Sendler statute to mark such an important day. This year’s wreath laying marks a poignant year with it being 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. We are so lucky to enjoy many freedoms which we often take for granted in this country. Holocaust Memorial Day is an important time to reflect and commemorate those who stood up to tyranny.

“I feel incredibly privileged to help launch the Irena Sendler Young Person Award with Newark Town Council. I am proud that this incredible initiative will commemorate the legacy of Irena Sendler and I hope her story and the courage she showed will inspire our brilliant younger generation to be more selfless and community motivated. I am passionate at supporting the local community and encouraging people to help their peers and those who may need support in their community and this award will celebrate young people who have supported, assisted, and helped others who are less fortunate than themselves. This could be an act of kindness to help someone else or getting involved in an initiative or activity to improve the physical, emotional, and psychological of others in need of support.”

Newark has a long history with Polish culture and Polish service personnel during World War II with Former Prime Minister of Władysław Sikorski being buried at Newark Cemetery for a time. Many Polish airmen were also stationed in Newark during the Second World War and the town has a significant number of Polish war graves.

Newark is also twinned with the city of Sandomierz, one of Poland’s oldest and historically most significant cities.