A TOUCHING and poignant scene – the members of Hexham Youth Initiative sat in silence as they listened to the tribute written and recorded by Branden Kelly in memory of one of his closest friends.

The rap reflects on the energy and qualities that, for him, made 20-year-old Dylan Monnelly – who died in a car accident on the A69 in October – stand out from the crowd.

In turn, the trustees of Hexham Youth Initiative had instigated a new annual award, the Dylan Monnelly Award, in time to be presented at this year’s general meeting.

Manager Keda Norman said: “He meant a lot to a lot of people here.

“He was a great Hexham character – someone who when these young people here today are parents and grandparents they will be telling their grandchildren about.

“He was a cheeky chappy with an awful lot of energy and we were very fond of him.

“When Dane (Curran) died, he was quite inspirational in that he got everybody to do things, like focus on the Key Fund application and go on trips.

“We are very, very sad to have lost Dylan at such a young age.”

The palpable sense of fraternity served to underline the actual reason dozens of youth initiative folk were gathered in Hexham Community Centre.

That was to celebrate the achievements of its young members during the previous 12 months.

Trustees, staff, volunteers and a large number of the young people themselves filled the main hall to capacity.

Chairman Tony Webster said: “Take a close look at the really wonderful photographs in the annual report and you will see there are groups of people doing interesting things and enjoying new experiences and opportunities, who are almost all smiling – and that’s the real story of the youth initiative.

“Every year, it works with over 500 young people for less than a quarter of a million pounds and that works out at a tenner a head per week. I think that represents outstanding value for money in terms of seeing our young people prospering in this community.”

The number of “contacts” the service had with young people between November 2015 and October 2016 was in excess of 11,000.

Between them, the issues they raised included problems with poverty, housing, family relationships, education and employment, mental health, drugs, alcohol and crime.

The annual report says those problems are sometimes compounded by the apparent affluence of the people they rub shoulders with every day.

As well as executive housing estates, Hexham also contains an area of social housing that registers on official indexes of multiple deprivation.

Many families living in that area, in Hexham East, are in the bottom 30 per cent of the national population in terms of how poor they are.

The trustees said in the report: “Many of the young people we work with, not only in Hexham but across Tynedale, live very difficult lives.

“Some have additional caring responsibilities which would leave us, as adults, exhausted.

“Others live in homes where they cannot be kept safe and secure, because of the additional difficulties that their parents and carers face.

“There is still abuse and neglect in our comfortable communities and still young people who lack direction and support.

“Some children and young people still go to bed cold and hungry and we give many children and young people food bags, which they take home and use to feed the family.”

In short, Hexham Youth Initiative is needed every bit as much today as it was when it was founded 18 years ago, and the key aim remains the same: to work with relevant organisations, such as schools and Children’s Services, to help the young people concerned tackle their problems.

Of equal importance is the wish to give them some time out from those problems, with some good old-fashioned fun.

The annual general meeting cum awards night bore witness to the ongoing success in achieving those aims.

Thirty-two members had contributed to the leadership of the initiative in the previous year and of those, a dozen or so picked up special Young Leader awards for going above and beyond the call of duty.

Several take part in Hexham Community Centre’s Open Arms Project, which brings together young and old to play games, bake, chat and share stories. In one particularly noteworthy charity drive, young leaders had raised £500 through a “tea and bingo” afternoon for the Caring for Kian campaign, in aid of four-year-old cancer sufferer Kian Musgrove. One of them, Katie Robson (15), said: “We wanted to show the (Musgrove) family that we were thinking of them.”

On another occasion, several of the young men got together to paint the walls of the youth initiative itself. Described as a natural leader, it was Dylan Monnelly who provided much of the impetus. He would have been proud, no doubt, to know that the award in his name went to another very deserving young man.

When Kieran Teasdales hit teenagedom, he was presented with many a choice that could have led him down the wrong track entirely.

“Instead,” said Keda, “he chose the route that led to his achieving his GCSEs, getting an apprenticeship and moving on. Kyran made all the right choices and proved that the people who believed in him were right too.”

The Dane Curran Award, presented in memory of the much-loved youth worker who died in a motorcycle accident last year, went to Ryan Liddle (16), an admirable young man who always did his best and who, on one occasion, sought help for his friend by carrying him to hospital.

Here are just some of the activities run by Hexham Youth Initiative:

Young Carers’ Group: More than 20 young people attend the weekly gathering, which offer a combination of fun activities and support. The responsibilities they bear can affect their education, future prospects and self-esteem.

In the summer, eight of them spent a week exploring the west coast of Scotland on board a vessel owned by the Tall Ships Youth Trust.

Parents’ Group: An informal group that provides friendship and support to young parents with pre-school children.

There’s a creche, trips out for the children and the occasional healthy-cooking course, and the kettle is always on.

LGBT Hexham: a monthly meeting that provides a safe place for young people questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Lego Clubs: There are two, one in Hexham and the other in Prudhoe, that between them offer the opportunity to indulge in crafts, games, cooking and a plethora of social activities, besides providing additional support for those who need it, with Lego model building at its core.

Holiday programmes: More than 300 young people took part in activities ranging from forest schools sessions to science days to trips to the cinema to camping at Beadnell Bay.

Gill’s Job Club: Youth worker Gillian Wood runs this weekly group, helping members with their CVs and their applications for apprenticeships, jobs and college.

Alternative Education Project: Offering GCSE English and maths and a range of ASDAN courses, the youth initiative works with students referred by local high schools or directly by Northumberland County Council, because they would benefit from a different type of curriculum.

Gardening projects: The youth initiative looks after the garden sites at Queen Elizabeth High School, including the Walled Garden, using them as a base for some of the alternative education projects and, now, a small animal care course.

Duke of Edinburgh Award programme: This year alone, 32 members have gained their Bronze and Silver level awards.

Bridging the Gaps project: The Big Lottery funds the work of project leader Glynis Murray-Hill in helping some of the harder to reach, often isolated young people. The related conference hosted by the youth initiative this year addressed mental health issues in young people.

Thursday and Sunday night Drop-ins: At the heart of what Hexham Youth Initiative does, these loud and energetic sessions attract more than 30 young people a time.

Acomb Youth Club: Run in partnership with the Action4Acomb community development group, this runs every Monday evening, in the Village Hall during the winter and the Pavilion during the summer.