'Stereotypes do not define young people'

A 16-year-old who has been recognised for his community service has said it is wrong that young people are stereotyped as lazy.

Ben Small became one of the Lions Club of Jersey's new senior young ambassadors for his volunteering work after he was nominated by his school, Hautlieu, for his efforts with Jersey Heritage and the Air Cadets.

He received the recognition alongside Henry Lucas from Victoria College, said the Lions Club.

Ben said the award "feels amazing" and it showed the "great majority" of young people "get out and do stuff".

Reflecting on the recognition, he said the idea young people were lazy was "quite old".

"Stereotypes don't define the population as a whole," he said.

"There will always be people who do fit those stereotypes, but there'll also be a great majority which don't and will get out and do stuff.

"I know more of them than I do the lazy ones."

Ben works as a visitor host at Jersey Heritage and shows people around sites including La Hougue Bie and Elizabeth Castle.

At the Air Cadets, he was recently promoted to sergeant and supports charities such as the Royal British Legion and the Variety Club.

"I think volunteering will always have a place with me," he said.

"It's a really good thing to do... I think I will keep doing it.

"It's just that feeling of being able to know that you've done something right and you're not getting anything in return, and that's your reward."

The Lions Club's Ambassador Programme recognises young people for "outstanding community service involvement".

Club member Susan Parker, who organised the competition, said: "It's really hard to choose between someone who's amazing and someone who's amazing.

"These aren't just people who've been doing things for a few weeks or months, this is years of commitment from a very young age."

[Source: BBC.com]