Crawley: awards joy for young L&Q resident

A young musician with a passion for youth work has scooped an award for his outstanding achievements.

Luke May, 20, moved to a flat in L&Q's Crawley Foyer in September 2007 because ongoing problems with his parents meant he couldn't stay at home. He made good progress at the foyer, working with his case worker, and was eventually able to move to more independent 'second stage' accommodation, where he currently lives.
 
Luke's ambition is to become a youth worker and his efforts at a local youth centre have earned him recognition at the Crawley Youth Awards.

Dormans is a youth centre for 13-to-17-year-olds that specialises in music, drama and arts and Luke has established himself as a key volunteer there.
 
Luke joined the staff band at Dormans as bass guitarist – even though he didn't know how to play it! He spent a huge amount of time learning to master the instrument and is now so good that he teaches other young people how to play it at the Monday Night Rock Club.

A spokesman for Dormans said: "Even though he didn't have the easiest life to contend with, it never impacted upon Luke's dedication to supporting the work and the young people here. In fact, when a job needs doing, Luke will be here and often turns up during the daytime to repair instruments, tidy the music studio and generally help around the centre."
 
The Crawley Youth Awards are organised by the Borough Council to celebrate outstanding achievements by young people across the town. Luke was one of only 12 winners to receive an award in front of a crowd of 800 at the local Hawth Theatre.