Cole Murphy is officially the North West’s ‘Young Neighbour of the Year’

04 March 2022

• 14-year-old from Skelmersdale is Co-op Insurance and Neighbourhood Watch’s regional winner

A schoolboy from Skelmersdale in the North West has been crowned as the regional winner in the UK’s Young Neighbour of the Year Awards by Co-op Insurance and Neighbourhood Watch for cleaning and picking up litter every day in his local area.

Cole Murphy, 14, who is a pupil at Ormskirk Grammar School, received multiple nominations from grateful friends and supporters in his community for his commitment to keeping his neighbourhood clean.

Every day, Cole cleans and picks up litter, taking great pride in keeping his community clean and free from waste. Cole uploads photos to Facebook each day so that the residents in his neighbourhood are aware of which area he has cleaned up and hopes that this will encourage others to do their part and keep litter off the streets.

Cole said: “I am so happy to have won the Young Neighbour of the Year Awards in the North West - it was such a surprise! I believe that it is so important to keep our community clean and tidy and show how proud we are of the lovely place we live. I hope that when residents see me on the streets or see my daily posts on Facebook, they will be encouraged to place litter in the bin when they see it.”

Sharon Cranny, who nominated Cole, has got to know the schoolboy through her work as an enforcement officer with the local Council. Sharon adds: “Cole is a wonderful young man, and I am over the moon that he has won this award, he truly deserves it. He is a role model for other young people in our community and I know that there are a lot of people who have been inspired by his efforts.”

Charles Offord, managing director of Co-op Insurance, said: “The number of entries we received this year was amazing to see. It’s clear that so many young people are doing great things as neighbours, and Cole really stood out and can be very proud of the time and effort he has put into cleaning up his streets. It was heart-warming to read his story and all the incredible acts of kindness of young people all over the UK.”

John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch, said: “We are thrilled to crown Cole as our Young Neighbour of the Year Awards winner in the North West. His hard work and passion for keeping his community litter free shone through and we hope his work will inspire many other young people to get out in their community and make a difference.”

The Co-op Insurance and Neighbourhood Watch Neighbour of the Year Awards, now in its fifth year, launched in 2018 to shine a light on the UK’s unsung heroes who are carrying out work in their communities to improve the lives of others. Winners are chosen in the categories of Neighbour, Young Neighbour and Community of the Year.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Media Enquiries: Jessica Edwards: jessica.edwards@halpern.co.uk Roxana Caia: roxana.caia@halpern.co.uk

About the Co-op: The Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance, legal services and health. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates 2,500 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 5,100 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited.

Employing over 62,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of £11.5 billion. As well as having clear financial and operational objectives, the Co-op is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

About Neighbourhood Watch: Neighbourhood Watch is the largest voluntary movement focused on crime prevention in England and Wales. Over 2.3 million people belong to local schemes supported by voluntary Associations. Neighbourhood Watch Network is an independent charity (registered in England and Wales 1173349) that acts as the movement's national umbrella organisation. Membership of Neighbourhood Watch schemes is open to all and is free, although local groups may request donations. Neighbourhood Watch's website address is ourwatch.org.uk, and the charity can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.