This short film celebrates a remarkable young person, Aster. Nominated for the Voluntary Service Awards 2025’s Young Volunteer Award, Aster’s journey with Space Youth Project is a testament to the power of support, self-belief, and the incredible impact young leaders can have.
When Aster first joined the Space Youth Project, they were a quiet individual, often hesitant to try new things, with anxiety sometimes serving as a barrier. Yet, when an opportunity arose for young people to become Young Leaders through a dedicated course and volunteer hours, Aster expressed a desire to take on this new challenge, a pivotal moment in their journey.
As time went on, Aster’s confidence blossomed, and their leadership abilities became undeniable. They now skillfully plan and lead activities designed to enhance communication, engagement, and social skills among their peers. Their thoughtful approach enables them to identify a specific need or skill to develop and then create and lead an activity to address it, often without requiring additional support.
Aster’s impact on the group members is profound. By seeing one of their peers taking on responsibilities and being so involved, other young people have become more engaged and inspired. Aster provides invaluable peer support, maintains clear boundaries, advocates for those who may not be able to speak for themselves, and knows when to seek additional support from youth workers.
After completing their required volunteer hours, Aster chose to continue as a Young Leader, becoming a permanent and respected fixture within the group. Their growth, willingness to embrace new challenges, unwavering reliability, and the consistent support they provide make them truly deserving of this award nomination.
Aster’s story embodies the mission of Space Youth Project: to empower young LGBT+ individuals, foster positive self-esteem, build a sense of community, and help them overcome challenges to express themselves freely. We are incredibly fortunate to have Aster as part of our team, and we know their journey will inspire many others.
Home | Space Youth Project: Welcoming all young gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and questioning (LGBT+) across Dorset since 2001, Space support young people who are or may be LGBT+ and empower them to have positive self-esteem, to know they are supported, to have a sense of community and to overcome issues caused or intensified by prejudice in order to facilitate freedom of expression. We use ‘trans’ as an umbrella term for those who are transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, of non-Western gender identities and those who have a trans history.
