A charity has been celebrating after receiving an award from a Christian radio station for its tireless work with young people.

Ignite Trust, based in Wealdstone, topped the ‘Youth and Children’s Work’ category at the Love Britain and Ireland Awards hosted by Premier Radio.

A Christian organisation but in no way faith biased, Ignite seeks to improve the lives of those who are on the fringes on the education system.

Founded in 2001, it has helped hundreds of young people and has benefitted from the efforts of dozens of volunteers.

Director Lynne Burke explained how it was fantastic to be recognised for the work they do, especially given how many excellent organisations were in attendance.

She said: “Premier Radio were looking at a number of community projects around the country. We went along with very little expectation so it was unbelievable to win.

“We’ve had our ups and downs over the years due to the state of funding opportunities but we always try to remain positive.

“We want to help as many young people as possible and we work closely with Harrow Council, and with schools, to ensure that they’re not left behind.

“Ultimately our aim is to move them on to employment or back into education; that’s the end point. Then, hopefully, concerns about getting into gangs or selling drugs will go away.”

Ignite’s strategy is to build up the confidence of those who have struggled at school and provide mentoring and guidance from start to finish.

Its current programme includes a variety of sports and a music partnership is on the horizon.

It is always on the lookout for volunteers in a number of areas, including catering, data input, tutoring and coaching.