THE leader of a break dance group has been recognised with a national award which celebrates those who have gone above and beyond during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tom Glynn, of St Helens-based UC Crew, has been honoured with a highly commended award from O2 Telecommunications' National Everyday Heroes awards.

Tom, 35, has been recognised for his work with the hip hop dance group helping young people during the lockdown.

He supported the community by providing 16 weeks of free youth activities to support young people with confidence, wellbeing and physical health at home using Hip Hop art forms.

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Among its activities during the lockdown, UC Crew ran a #stayathomechallenge to encourage young people to still be able to learn and develop their break dancing skills.

And as the Star reported in April, the group also linked up with a fellow break dancing squad in the German city of Stuttgart, which is a partner town of St Helens.

They shared tutorials and gave messages of support to each other during the challenging times of the pandemic.

St Helens Star:

Tom, from Haydock, who has been with UC Crew for 17 years, said: "I was ecstatic to find out that I was highly commended and that my contribution to the community was recognised by O2 on a national level.

"I'm very proud of my town and its ability to pull through the tough times together."

The initiative from O2 aims to recognise the unsung heroes who helped their community during the pandemic behind the scenes

Hundreds nominated deserving small businesses, enterprises and individuals who had gone the extra mile.

Allie Lawson, head of SMB Brand & Marcomms from O2 Business and judge, added: “The winners of O2’s Everyday Heroes competition are thoroughly deserving – it was impossible not to shed a tear as we read the hundreds of nominations from members of the public, and it conveyed the sheer heroic effort people have made to improve the lives of other people in their communities."

  • Anyone interested in Hip Hop and dance activities for young people and adults, please contact Tom by email at hello@uccrew.co.uk