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Streetwise win major prize

11 June, 2009

Congratulations to Streetwise, Youth Access member from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who have been named overall winner of the 2009 GSK IMPACT Awards. Streetwise, who featured in a recent member profile, were awarded a prize of £35,000. The award recognises the real impact Streetwise make to the lives of young people on Tyneside and is a proud achievement.

Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, described the overall winner as an outstanding organisation that has a fun accessible style, yet works with serious issues, tackling them in an imaginative way. He said: "Streetwise's effectiveness stems from its open-minded approach and its understanding of teenagers and the issues that affect them. It provides practical and emotional support and has earned the trust of the young people who use its services. That trust means Streetwise can move from strength to strength, continuing to provide a much needed source of help and advice for young people in Newcastle and the wider Tyneside area."

An overjoyed Heidi Douglas, Project Manager at Streetwise said: "We are elated to been chosen as the overall winner of the 2009 GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards. Being a small organisation in the northeast we sometimes feel overshadowed by national projects. These awards are an incredible acknowledgment and validation of the pioneering work we undertake, and an opportunity for us to look back into our services and improve on what we do."

View a video about the work of Streetwise on the Kings Fund website