COMMUNITY-SPIRITED teenager Ryan Hope has been nominated for a national award which aims to challenge youth stereotypes.

Ryan, 17, of Norfolk Road, Westham, is up for a CHANGEit award, which encourages young people to speak up and take action in society.

The engineering apprentice has been recognised in the Performance category for his work in breaking down barriers between generations in his community.

As chairman and founder of the Westham Youth Forum, his major projects with the 15-strong group have been to create two community gardens, in Bedford Road and Fairway Court.

Since forming the forum three years ago, the young volunteers have held numerous local events, including bingo, a Hallowe’en disco, litter pick, and a summer festival at Queensland Park.

Ryan, a former Budmouth Technol-ogy College student, said he was proud and excited to be nominated. He added: “I am feeling quite confident but there are many other people who deserve it too, so I’m not building my hopes up too much.”

The top three will get £750, much of which Ryan said he would use to treat the forum members to a day out, and a thank-you to the other volunteers.

The award winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on Thursday, which Ryan will be attending with girlfriend Shannon Cox, and Westham Cops (Community Orientated Problem Solving) chairman Chris Edwards, who nominated the teenager.

Mr Edwards said: “I grew up in Westham and there has never been an awful lot to do, but instead of just moaning about it, Ryan has just got on and done something about it.”