2004 – 2005
The Torbay Civic Award was introduced by Karen Thomson at Cockington Primary School. 12 children were presented with their award by the Mayor of Torbay Nick Bye.
2005-2006
Homelands School joined Cockington School – 34 children achieved the award – Certificates presented by Councillor Beryl McPhail at Oldway Mansion.
2006-2007
White Rock School began the award. 35 children were presented with certificates at Oldway Mansion by Councillor Hytch, the Chair of Torbay Council,
2007 -2008
Over forty Year 6 pupils from Cockington, White Rock, Homelands and St Marychurch primary schools were presented with their Torbay Civic Award certificates by the Chair of the council Councillor Martin Hodge at Oldway Mansion.
2008-2009
Torre and Collaton St Mary Schools joined – numbers rose to nearly 80 Councillor Matthew Phillip presented the certificates.
2009-2010
IB students at Torquay Boys Grammar School organised the first launch for 150 children Participation Pride focused on participating in your communities.
A record number of over 100 Year 6 pupils from Shiphay, Cockington, White Rock, Torre, Priory, Warberry, Homelands and Collaton St Mary schools took part this year and were presented with their Torbay Civic Award certificates by the Chair of Torbay Council Councillor Derek Mills at the annual Torbay Civic Award Presentation Night, which, this year, was held at the Centenary Hall, Torquay Boys’ Grammar School.
2010-2011
This year, following inspiration from a young girl from White Rock, Karen added a new section: choose a cause or charity close to your heart and find ways to support it. The first Brixham school joined the award! Furzeham Primary took the number of schools involved to 13! We also welcomed the Abbey School, Shiphay, Hayes, Warberry, Priory and Sacred Heart who all took part in the award this year.
2011-2012
188 Children from Shiphay, Cockington, White Rock, Torre, Priory, Warberry, Homelands, Hayes, The Abbey School, Sacred Heart, Ilsham, Furzeham and Collaton St Mary primary schools took part this year. Presentations were held at the Centenary Hall, Torquay Boys’ Grammar School who also organised the launch in October which was well attended.
2012-2013
St Marychurch Primary took numbers this year to 190! The Launch and Presentation Night was once again held in the Centenary Hall at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School and children were presented with their Torbay Civic Award certificates by the Chair of Torbay Council Councillor Julian Parrott
2013-2014
The numbers of children taking part in the Torbay Civic Award since its inception nine years ago grew to over 1000 this year when nearly 200 Year 6 pupils from Torbay primary schools were presented with their Torbay Civic Award certificates by Councillor Ray Hill at the annual Torbay Civic Award Presentation Night, which was held at the Centenary Hall, Torquay Boys’ Grammar School.
We welcomed Sherwell Valley as our newest school and children from St Marychurch, Shiphay, Cockington, St Margarets, Sherwell Valley, Furzeham, Torre, Priory, Warberry, Homelands, Hayes, The Abbey School, Sacred Heart, and Collaton St Mary primary schools all took part in the scheme.
2014-2015
The special 10th anniversary of the Torbay Civic Award was celebrated during a year which really focused on publicity and community growth. Our new website was introduced, bringing the Torbay Civic Award onto the world wide web!
370 children achieved the award and were presented with their certificates by Councillor Ann Brookes at the Presentation Night where children also received a commemorative 10-year commemorative pen courtesy of Babbacombe and St Marychurch Rotary Club.
2015 – 2016
The 12th Torbay Award Presentation saw over 200 Torbay and Devon Year 6 Students receive their Torbay Civic Award certificate at a ceremony held at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School with certificates presented by Councillor Ray Hill.
This year we were delighted to see the award move into Devon and pleased to welcome a Devon primary school: Exminister Community Primary School.
2016 – 2017
The 13th Torbay and Civic Award Presentation signed off 275 Year 6 students from 15 primary schools. This year, for the first time, the award was re-named. It has become the Torbay and Devon Civic Award, and we look forward to welcoming more Devon primary schools in the future.
This year, due to increasing numbers, there were two separate presentations. At the first presentation, certificates were presented by Torbay Council Chair Anne Brooks, and the second presentation certificates were presented by Devon County Council Chair Ray Radford.
2017 – 2018
This year we had 19 schools taking part! Growing bigger in Devon, we welcomed Gatehouse Primary Academy and Hazeldown Primary, and back in Torbay we added Warberry Academy, Ilsham Academy and Preston School.
Also, for the first time two home-educated students successfully completed the award. Numbers achieving the award rose to 287.
This year the Presentation Night was held at St Cuthbert Mayne School and. Once again, there were two separate presentation ceremonies. Pupils at the school acted as hosts for the night and certificates were presented by Councillor Caroline Chugg : the Chair of Devon County Council and Councillor Ian Doggett (Chair of Torbay Council)
2018 – 2019
Our 15th year broken another barrier and this time we held three presentations in two venues at St Cuthbert Mayne Secondary School and participants from Devon Schools were awarded their certificates in a new venue Uffculme Secondary School.
We also welcomed 9 new schools; Feniton, Silverton, North Molton, Tipton St John, Whimple, Highweek, Uffculme, Watcombe and Trinity.
Nearly 450 students from around Devon were awarded the Torbay and Devon Civic Award for 2018/2019
2019 – 2020
Our 16th year was a very strange one and for the first time no presentations were held due to the impact of Covid and UK lockdowns. However, the award continued and schools and pupils found creative ways to meet the criteria of the award (although residential were ignored this year!). Pupils who achieved the award were presented with a limited edition of the certificate for embracing the spirt and values of the Torbay and Devon Civic Award.
It was testaments to the schools and pupils, that despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, 296 year 6 students were successfully awarded the Torbay and Devon Civic Award from 27 participating Primary Schools.
2020 – 2021
During its 17th year, presentation ceremonies were still impossible, but despite this, 127 children from 14 primary schools successfully achieved their Torbay and Devon Civic Award. They were awarded with the limited-edition certificate in various school-based and virtual ceremonies.
2021 – 2022
After a 2-year gap of being unable to run presentation evenings, and with Covid and lock downs easing, we were pleased to host three presentation evenings; 2 being held at St Cuthbert Mayne School and a third being hosted at Uffculme secondary school.
27 primary schools participated with 264 year 6 students achieving their Torbay and Devon Civic Award. The award was joined this year by All Saints Marsh
2022 – 2023
31 schools took part in the 19th year of the Torbay and Devon Civic Award and certificates were presented to 379 children. This brought the grand total of young people ever receiving the certificate to 3,762! There were four Presentation Nights: two at St Cuthbert Mayne, one at Offwell School and a new presentation at Kingsbridge School for schools in the South Hams. We are indebted to the support of James Down, Head Teacher at St Cuthbert Mayne, and Tina Graham at Kingsbridge School and, once again, enjoyed the hospitality at The Venue at Uffculme School. As usual, pupils impressed everyone with the enormity and commitment of their work which was communicated via school PowerPoint presentations. This year, for the first time, the Pledge to the Planet, was an element of the award and assessors throughout Torbay and Devon were inspired by the children’s passion, knowledge and maturity.
This year welcome was extended to St John’s School, Sidmouth, Galmpton C of E School, BrixhamC of E Primary and Our Lady and St Patricks Roman Catholic School, Teignmouth. Certificates were presented by the Chair of Devon County Council, Councillor Percy Prowse and the Deputy Civic Mayor for Torbay, Councillor Hannah Stevens.
2023 – 2024
The 20th Year of the Torbay and Devon Civic Award was celebrated with exclusive certificates and commemorative medals for every pupil. Torquay Rotary contributed to the funding for the medals and Lorna Milnes, the President of Rotary, attended the Torbay Presentation Nights at both St Cuthbert Mayne and Isca Academy to present them. Certificates were also presented to individual schools for their participation in the award over time. Certificates were presented by Councillor John Hart, Chair of Devon Council, and Councillor Mark Spacagna, Civic Mayor of Torbay.
Thirty-five schools took part this year and over 400 pupils, bringing the grand total of young people ever receiving the certificate to over 4000. New schools this year were Kingskerswell C of E Primary, Westcliff Primary Academy, St Nicholas Catholic Primary School and Montgomery Primary School. Previous schools: Oldway Primary School and Ilsham Academy also rejoined the award after a short gap.
As usual, pupils impressed everyone with the enormity and commitment of their work which was communicated via school PowerPoint presentations and many assessors throughout Torbay and Devon reported being inspired by the children’s passion, knowledge and maturity.
Karen Thomson (Award Founder and Coordinator) spoke about how the award had grown from one school with 12 pupils to 66 schools and over 4000 pupils. At each Presentation Night Karen spoke about the legacy of the award in its 20th year and the hope that the young people, like those who have achieved the award over the last twenty years, take the values of the award into their lives. She spoke of her wish that the pupils see the award as ‘a foundation for the rest of their lives.’
2024 – 2025
The 21st year of the Torbay and Devon Civic Award was the biggest so far. 490 pupils from 40 primary schools received certificates at two presentations at St Cuthbert Mayne School and two presentations at Isca Academy. Certificates were presented by the Torbay Civic Mayor Councillor Barbara Lewis and the Deputy Chair of Devon Council Councillor Rosie Dawson. Presentations were introduced by Isca head Teacher Vicki Joyce and St Cuthbert Mayne Assistant Headteacher Tracey Dearling. New schools taking part this year were Ashburton Primary, Eden Park Primary, Barton Hill Academy, Kingsteignton School and Exwick Heights Primary School. Four new banners graced the presentation evenings, celebrating the values of the award: Independence, Determination, Commitment, Respect, Aspiration,Citizenship and Love
