Anthony is Manchester's first Urban Hero

Anthony Martindale receiving his award from Manchester High Sheriff Edith Conn and Andy Hawthorne


Click to zoom

24 July 2008

Anthony Martindale, 18, from Christ Church, Harpurhey has been named Urban Hero of the Year by Manchester youth charity, The Message Trust.

Anthony was praised as a ‘fantastic role model’ by the youth charity after they helped him turn his life around. Instead of being into drink and drugs and ‘always in trouble’, he is now studying hard at college and doing voluntary work in the community.

Anthony said, “I got involved with the wrong crowd at school and got into booze and drugs. I was only 15 or 16 at the time but it took over my life. I always seemed to be in trouble until I met a volunteer from the Message Trust, who got me interested in what the charity was trying to do.

"I started going to church, however, and a few months later, I was baptized a Christian, and now my life has been turned completely around.”

Revd Mark Ashcroft, vicar of Christ Church, said, “We’ve known Anthony for about 4 years. One of our Eden team members brought him along to church. He became a Christian and was baptised here and in the last couple of years he’s been an amazing person, helping out in the community and at church in lots of ways. This award is well deserved and I’m delighted for Anthony.”

Now Anthony is studying carpentry and joinery. In the last year he has worked on a home improvement project, helped a sick neighbour with their garden, and been involved in one of the Message’s Eden Project schemes, which help young people living in some of the city’s toughest housing estates.

Andy Hawthorne, chief executive and founder of The Message, said: "Though the charity has been working across the area for a long time now, the awards are new.

"At a time when young people are getting such a bad press, and being regularly portrayed in a negative light, the scheme shows that there are, in fact, many success stories and that many young people are playing a vital and positive role in society."


Other Stories