A BAKER S dozen of students have been nominated by Bassingbourn Village College for Cambridge Building Society Young People of the Year or YOPEY. The contest recognises and rewards young people who give to the community and is endorsed by Prime Minister G

A BAKER'S dozen of students have been nominated by Bassingbourn Village College for Cambridge Building Society Young People of the Year or YOPEY.

The contest recognises and rewards young people who give to the community and is endorsed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Some of the kind-hearted teenagers at the South End secondary school are now in the running for �2,000 in cash prizes put up by the building society plus other sponsors, including Spicers, the Cambs-based office products supplier, and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

The college contenders include:

* Polly Clegg, 14, of Greenford Close, Orwell, Alan Cox, 13, of High Street, Orwell, Bryn Davies, 13, of Cross Lane Close, Orwell, Oliver Richardson, of High Street, Orwell, and Jack Watkins, of Ermine Way, Arrington, who helped to set up the new youth club in Orwell.

"There was nothing in Orwell or the villages around us so we thought that it was time we started a youth club again," said Polly.

After the youngsters raised initial funding from Cambridgeshire County Council's Youth Bank, the club now meets every Tuesday evening in the Orwell Pavilion.

* Sixteen-year-olds Molly Wedge, of Rock Road, Royston, Kellie Wollaston, of Park View, Bassingbourn, and Kirsty Rowe, of High Street, Tadlow, put on a Christmas dinner for two years for the elderly of Bassingbourn. Molly said: "We cooked for about 60 people. It gave us a really good feeling and it's nice to sit down with the old folk afterwards and talk to them."

* Stephanie Smith, 16, of North End, Bassingbourn, has been helping out at Bassingbourn Youth Club for three years and now she has been trained in youth work and also helps run Great Chishill Youth Club.

* Sixteen-year-olds Holly Brown, of South Street, Littlington, and Sophie Kline, of Orchard Way, Bassingbourn, started dance classes to occupy younger pupils during cold, winter lunchtimes. "It was great to pass on our skills," said Holly, "and it kept the youngsters out of trouble."

* Madison Lambley, 15, of Elbourn Way, Bassingbourn, volunteered to help run a brownie pack as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Award. However, when she got the award, Madison carried on helping as she really likes organising and helping to run activities for brownies.

* Thirteen-year-old Charlie Hardy, of Pearmains Close, Orwell, is being trained by past YOPEY finalists to run the school's sound and light system for concerts and plays.

YOPEY founder Tony Gearing said: "Polly, Molly and co only scratch the surface of good work going on by community-minded young people at Bassingbourn Village College, in and out of school. They deserve recognition to counter all the bad press we read about an anti-social minority among the younger generation."

Do you know a young person who goes that extra mile to help others and deserves recognition and the chance to win a cash prize? Nominees must be aged between 10-25, live, study, or work in Cambridgeshire, and give to others in this country or abroad.

To nominate, log on to www.yopey.org or write to Young People of the Year, PO Box 103, Hare Street, Ware, SG9 OXD, enclosing an SAE, for an entry form. Young people can nominate themselves. This YOPEY closes to entries on September 1 and the awards ceremony will be at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford in October.