Nominations are now open for the fourth Celebrating Young People Awards.

The awards – powered by Catholic charity Million Minutes – honour the achievements of young people across the country who make our communities a better place.

Parishes, schools and individuals across the Archdiocese of Birmingham are being invited to nominate young people.

The award nominees will be invited to attend a special ceremony in London’s West End in July, where Cardinal Vincent Nichols will be the guest of honour and present the Pope Francis Award to one lucky young person.

At the 2017 awards St Vincent’s young adult group, from St Joseph's and St Vincent's Parishes, Nechells, received the Joseph Cardjn – Protecting the dignity of workers Award.

Both Lucien Nzabandora aged 23, and Georges Wisoba, aged 22, work quietly and humbly in the background, standing up for the rights and justice of their fellow young people.

They reach out and befriend other young adults in their deprived inner-city area of Birmingham.

The group they founded now hosts between 25 and 30 young people in the local church centre.

Because of the care and support they receive the young people are growing in faith and social action.

Their Parish Sister said “Lucien and Georges, are natural leaders. They act as the leaven in their local community… and their sense of humour is infectious!”

Danny Curtin, CEO of Million Minutes, said: “Across the country young people are changing our world in quiet and unassuming ways-week in and week out.

“It is young people like Lucien and Georges who inspire the rest of us to live out social action in our communities.

“Young people get an increasing amount of stick in the media and wider society, but their energy and commitment is so often inspirational.

“To our Adult & Young leaders reading, this is your call to action: nominate a young person or group you know for a Celebrating Young Peoples Award today.”

If you know an unsung hero or heroine or a group that have worked together to help their community put them forward for an award now at www.millionminutes.org/awards

There are eight award categories, which take their names from Catholic social teaching and recognise the enormous, often unseen, social action of young people.