On Sunday 18 October, the Pride Awards Trust, a non-profit organisation that recognises the successes and achievements of young people from the greater Wellington region, held the 2015 Datacom Pride Awards ceremony at Paramount Cinema.
We are very proud of Leo Stairmand who received the Senior Courage in Adversity Award.
Leo has faced a number of difficult challenges, including the death of a friend through drugs, and his own drug use. He has made a number of positive changes in his life, and a growing sense of what was right for his community and strength of conviction about the issue of legal high sales in Kapiti compelled him to step out of his comfort zone and address the local council in a public forum. By speaking out against a legal high sales zone, Leo represented the views of many youth in his community, out of concern for others, while addressing his own experiences of legal highs. He has proved himself a role model for other young people who might feel disengaged in relation to their community and the sort of impact they can have on local government policies, standing up for what’s right and what they believe in.
