Ryedale Youth Theatre is very proud to have been honoured and recognised with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2016, the highest national award a voluntary group can receive in the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities.

The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2nd June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. The group were thrilled to receive the award from the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE, on September 22nd 2016.

Barbara Wood and Barbara Murray were delighted to represent Ryedale Youth Theatre at the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Thursday 19th May 2016. On Sunday 12^th June 2016, Barbara Murray and Anne Pegg represented Ryedale Youth Theatre at a Service of Thanks Giving to mark the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen’s 90^th Birthday at Ripon Cathedral.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate all of the volunteers, both current and over the past 30 years, for the huge amount of hard work and commitment that they have shown for Ryedale Youth Theatre.

In October 2014 Ryedale Youth Theatre were very proud to receive, from Prince Andrew himself, The Duke of York’s Community Initiative Award, which recognizes excellence and rewards outstanding community projects throughout the whole of Yorkshire and Humberside. The Duke of York’s Community Initiative is presented annually to a small number of Yorkshire based organisations that have been subjected to rigorous and robust scrutiny are deemed: “of real value to the community, well run and an inspiration to others.”

On 20th April 2020, Ryedale Youth Theatre were delighted to be recognised again, as deserving of The Duke of York’s Community Initiative Award for our excellent work in our own community.

Also in October 2014, Ryedale Youth Theatre and Kirkham Henry Performing Arts were delighted to be jointly honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the fifth annual Pride of Malton and Norton Awards organised by The Malton & Pickering Mercury. It is quite extraordinary that there is such a wealth of young talent in our local community and we always seem to be blessed with a very strong and focused cast, who are to be thanked and congratulated for their continued hard-work, commitment and dedication.

On 24th October 2015, Ryedale Youth Theatre were honoured and delighted that Chairman Barbara Wood and Secretary Barbara Murray were awarded ‘Volunteer of the Year’ at the Pride of Malton & Norton Awards. Meanwhile, the ‘Bright Young Star Award’ was jointly won by Ryedale Youth Theatre’s Hannah Richardson, who played the part of Eva Peron in our production of Evita in 2015, and Matt Woollons of Malton School. The Pride of Malton & Norton Awards were set up 6 years ago by Malton and Pickering Mercury. The initial aim of the awards was to celebrate the local community and the people which make it a special place, through their efforts across various sectors from business to schools, volunteers and emergency services, sport and the arts.

During Volunteers Week 2015, the entire Ryedale Youth Theatre Team were presented with a certificate for their commitment and contribution as a volunteer by North Yorkshire Youth.

On Saturday 5th November 2016 at The Pride of Malton and Norton Awards, Chloe Shipley was presented with the Bright Young Star award. Many congratulations Chloe, from everybody at Ryedale Youth Theatre!