THE most inspiring young people in Plymouth are being called on to enter The Herald’s Youth Awards 2008.

Any bright young person – aged 18 or under – who has shown ‘entrepreneurial flair’ in the city this year can be nominated for an award in the next couple of weeks.

There are two categories: Most Enterprising Youth in the Community and Most Enterprising Youth in Business.

And anyone in the city can nominate a young person for one of the awards – if he or she has given their time and effort to help improve their community or a business.

The deadline for nominations is October 31 and the awards are open to anyone living in or around Plymouth.

The Most Enterprising Youth in the Community award aims to recognise the hard work of the young people who are helping to make Plymouth a better place. They may be involved in projects at school, at community centres or at youth clubs.

The Most Enterprising Youth in Business award aims to find the city’s next entrepreneur. It aims to celebrate the enterprising nature of Plymouth’s young people.

The Herald’s editor Bill Martin said: “We want as many people in the city nominate those young people who have excelled as entrepreneurs or workers in the community.

“These awards are a fantastic way to reward those who are talented and hard-working – and are helping to make their city a better place.”

Other awards being handed out during The Herald Youth Awards will include The Schools Herald Team of The Year, the University of Plymouth Business Ideas Challenge Award and the Tamar Education Business Partnership’s Young Enterprise Challenge. There will be five other awards as well.

Sponsors of the awards include City College Plymouth, the university and Apex Care Solutions Ltd, which enables people with learning disabilities to access opportunities.

Last year’s winners of Most Enterprising Youths In Business awards were Ben Arscott and Adam Pavey of St Boniface’s College. The sixth-formers set up the clothing business Jealous Stuff and designed a stylish, but affordable jacket to go over the school uniform.

The Torpoint Youth Project won the Most Enterprising Youth in the Community trophy. The teenagers decided to do something about the lack of facilities for young people in the town and helped raise nearly £70,000 for a skate park with basketball facilities and a youth shelter.

This year’s winners will be presented with their awards during Plymouth’s celebrations of National Enterprise Week on Thursday November 20.

The youth awards will be handed out at 4pm at City College Plymouth.