IPSWICH mayor Inga Lockington has started her year in office by introducing a new award for young people who have given extraordinary service to the town.

By Paul Geater

IPSWICH mayor Inga Lockington has started her year in office by introducing a new award for young people who have given extraordinary service to the town.

The first recipient of the Mayor's Award for Young People was 16-year-old Holywells High student Sinead Lambe who juggles her GCSE studies with doing voluntary work for Suffolk Connexions.

And when she is not doing work with Connexions, Sinead does voluntary work with other charitable groups in the area.

Sinead, who lives in Beatty Road, said: “I've been doing work with Connexions for about two years now and I want to be a youth worker once I have left school and college.

“I really enjoy that work and want to do something for the community.”

She admitted that her voluntary work and school work didn't leave her with much time on her hands.

She said: “It's very busy and I'm just starting GCSEs, but it is something I really enjoy.”

Sinead has been awarded a place on a Suffolk College Course to train as a youth worker, and hopes her voluntary work will stand her in good stead.

Mrs Lockington made the presentation at the end of the official mayor-making ceremony and said she was delighted to help introduce the new award to recognise young people in the town.

“When I heard about Sinead's work it seemed as if she was just the kind of young person who deserves this kind of recognition.”