THE HELEN FOUNDATION AWARD

THF Chairman Roger Kirk presents the THF Award to Zak Payne of Newton Abbot College

Every publicly-funded school in Teignbridge is entitled to present The Helen Foundation Award to the student showing “best endeavour in the arts” in their school. The winning student takes home a glass duplicate of the perpetual Award, and a certificate to keep in perpetuity. The award doesn’t necessarily go to the best singer, dancer, actor or painter (though it may do) but to the student who gives their all to their development in the arts right across the year.

We love to stay in touch where possible with THF Award winners, and one of these is Holly Morwenna Rawlings who was presented with her award in July 2008, at Kenton Primary School. She wrote some years later, “I remember seeing the Helen Foundation Award being presented the previous year to one of the older pupils, and I remember hoping that it would be me the next year – which it was when I was only 10 years old."

“I was absolutely thrilled once I was given this award, and I remember carrying it home in the box, not wanting to even open it, in fear of scratching it! I was extremely proud of myself, and so grateful for the opportunities the teachers gave me, and I was really touched that they had noticed my love for the arts at such a young age. I think the Helen Foundation is an excellent cause, and I believe their awards are something every winner will treasure for the rest of their lives."

"The confidence the teachers and this award has given me, has set me up and helped me to develop as a performing artist. I am now a singer-songwriter, and as well as cruise-ship performance work – I perform regularly at festivals, gigs and private events. I absolutely love what I do, and I am very thankful that I can do what I love.”  Click HERE for a link to Holly's show reel.

Holly wrote this for March 8th, International Women’s Day (and coincidentally, Helen’s birthday.):

"To all the women (and those who identify as a woman) in the world, this is our day. To celebrate who we are, what we’ve fought for, what we’ve achieved, and what we are yet to be. We have every right, reason and possibility to be more than we think. We are bold, creative, silly, strong, independent, loving, powerful, influential and beyond. We still have a lot of fight needed for women to be seen as equal across the world, but we will never give up and we will never back down to a lesser version of ourselves.”