CATS (Community Action Through Sport) is preparing for the 2009 Awards, which will be held in Bude at the end of April.

Organisers are now calling on people to nominate young people (aged 5-25) from their community, sports club, youth group or school for positive contribution.

A CATS spokesman said: "Maybe you have young people helping coach younger year groups in sports or you have fulfilled a community project such as litter clearing? Maybe you have children in your primary school who have been volunteering to monitor the playground and break times or there are young people who have been fundraising for a charity?

"The list of positive actions that young people get involved in is endless, but we need to hear about what they have been doing, so we can reward them at a public ceremony and let them chose a sports reward of their choice."

CATS was set up five years ago by Budehaven's Head of Sport Denise May and Superintendent Julie Whitmarsh as a result of consulting with young people in Bude about their feelings in the community.

Back then, some young people were feeling disenfranchised in their communities. Their request was for people to recognise the good young people do, not the bad; and have access to more sports and to try sports not considered before. Five years later, some 2,000 young people have been rewarded throughout Cornwall, and CATS is growing every month.

The spokesman continued: "For the next six weeks we will be highlighting some of the young people nominated from the Bude area (this includes all local parishes and Holsworthy), and what developments have been made at CATS in the last year. It has been a very exciting year to say the least!"

To kick off the new year, a new logo and website — http://www.cats-uk.org">www.cats-uk.org — has been launched.

Please call 01288 357505 or 07794 362403 for a nomination form; email [email protected]">[email protected], or download one from the website which will be up and running imminently, http://www.cats-uk.org">www.cats-uk.org. Alternatively you can pick up nomination forms from RIPE cafe or Zuma Jays in Bude.

The CATS spokesman continued: "Bude should be proud of its young people; there are a great number doing magnificent things in their communities!"