Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland is proud to share the incredible stories of the winners in the Rotary Young Citizen Awards 2026.
Now in its 19th year, the Rotary Young Citizen Awards were launched in 2007 to celebrate the amazing achievements of young people. Since then, hundreds of inspiring young people have been recognised for their social impact, volunteering and fundraising.
This year’s winners have shown outstanding commitment to causes that matter to them, from supporting those impacted by domestic abuse to promoting financial literacy, and from community cohesion to climate action.
This year’s winners received their awards at a prestigious ceremony in Cheshire, where champions of Rotary’s Young Chef and Young Musician competitions were also crowned.
We were delighted to welcome Abbie Breakwell back to the Rotary Young Citizen Awards as host. The Team GB wheelchair star, Paralympian and now Rotary GB&I Ambassador won the Rotary Young Citizen WheelPower Sport Award in 2018.
Winners were all nominated by their Rotary in their local community.
Renia Ganguly
Rotary Young Citizen Award
Nominated by: Rotary Heart of England Hub
Renia is Founder of ChequeItOut, an online youth-led financial literacy platform, Renia is breaking barriers by making financial education accessible, relatable and empowering for young people everywhere.
Her innovative, ambassador-led, peer-to-peer approach is now reaching an international audience, with a scalable model that aims to equip the next generation with the confidence and skills to manage money and build independence.
Renia’s commitment to service doesn’t stop there. As Lead of Youth Connect on the Birmingham Youth City Board, she champions youth engagement, representation and accountability.
Brynmawr Interact Club
Rotary Young Citizen Award
Nominated by: Brynmawr Rotary Club
Brynmawr Interact Club are actively empowering young people in their local community to lead, inspire, and create real change.
From planting crocuses and supporting community gardens, to running Kids Craft Club, foodbanks, and Christmas Hampers, this incredible group of Young Citizens is making a tangible difference every day. Here are just three standout examples of their dedication:
- Spectrum Homeless Project: Raising funds and preparing monthly meals, clothing, and essentials – championing sustainability through reuse and redistribution.
- Scare on the Square: Organising a safe, fun Halloween event to reduce anti-social behaviour, while building leadership, fundraising, and community spirit.
- Gwent Chief Constable Youth Panel: Giving young people a voice in justice and community policing, shaping a safer future for all.
Daniel Monaghan
Rotary Young Citizen Award
Nominated by: Newton-le-Willows Rotary Club
Daniel is a passionate, active and highly dedicated member of the St Helen’s Youth Parliament where he is leading and supporting campaigns to raise awareness of domestic abuse and to promote safer communities for young people.
Alongside this Daniel is a driving force within the Aspiration Team at Hope Academy, where he works to challenge harmful stereotypes and inspire positive change within the school community.
As part of this work Daniel has contributed to and helped to deliver school podcasts, initiating vital conversations that explore masculinity within modern culture and encouraging open discussions around identity and mental health.
Muhammad Sameer and Hafsa Tehseen
Rotary Young Citizen Award
Nominated by: Barkingside and Redbridge Rotary Club
Sameer and Hafsa, a brother and sister duo, volunteer at their local library’s makerspaces, leading ‘Kids Teaching Kids: Origami’ workshops, helping young people to learn new skills and build confidence.
Since February 2025, they’ve run 12 sessions across two venues, supporting 120 children to learn new skills and build confidence. Their workshops are in high demand, welcoming every child and fostering creativity and belonging.
Sameer and Hafsa are inspiring role models, strengthening the library community through their commitment, leadership, and generosity.
Joe Rajapaksha
Rotary Young Citizen Environmentalist Award
Nominated by: Faringdon & District Rotary Club
Inspired by Sir David Attenborough, Joe Rajapaksha is a young climate campaigner and founder of ‘Science with Joe’, an educational platform launched at age six.
He’s produced 100+ episodes, published five children’s books on climate and wildlife, and donates all proceeds to conservation charities. Joe campaigns for climate education, engages with policymakers, and inspires youth action through climate talks at schools and Scout groups.
His work has gained national recognition, including the BBC Make a Difference Award, People, Environment, Achievement (PEA) Awards, Oxford Climate Awards and a British Citizen Youth Award, Medal of Honour.
Interact Club of Croesyceiliog School
Rotary Young Citizen Peacemaker Award
Nominated by: Henllys Rotary Club
As the world’s first Peacebuilder Interact Club, the Interact Club of Croesyceiliog School leads inspiring peacebuilding activities locally and globally.
At home, they promote literacy with a community Book Stop, which allows people across the community to take a book of their choice home. This is particularly valuable, as Wales is a country where 1 in 5 children don’t have a book of their own.
The club also fosters inclusion with a peace garden on the school grounds, a powerful example of practical peacebuilding and social stability in action. Every project they embark on reflects their passion for peace, social responsibility, and community cohesion.
Internationally, the club also has a longstanding partnership with Jackie School in Uganda, which has over 500 pupils.
Charlotte Kasparian
Rotary Young Citizen Sporting Hero Award
Nominated by: Limavady Rotary Club
Charlotte started Brazilian Ju Jitsu at 6 years old and now trains 5-6 days a week in Mixed Martial Arts including wrestling and Judo. In 2025 Charlotte earned the titles of Open Pre Cadet Champion in Judo in Northern Ireland, Wales, and England, plus All Irelands and All Ireland Schools Champion.
An accomplished fighter, Charlotte regularly volunteers as assistant coach with the younger athletes, always taking the time to mentor them both on and off the practice mats. She is a truly standout athlete who demonstrates compassion and dedication towards everyone in the team.
Nominations for the 20th edition of the Rotary Young Citizen Awards will open soon. Nominations must be submitted by 5th February 2027. Head to our Rotary Young Citizen Awards page for full information.
