Teenager Jolie Forrest and first winner of Burnley's 'Above and Beyond' young volunteer award is a 'poster girl' for her generation
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While her extraordinary talents as a singer, dancer and actress practically ensure her future career on the stage, there is another side to Jolie, an extremely caring side, that earned her the title of the Young Volunteer of the Year at the recent Above and Beyond awards.
Championed by the Burnley Express and backed by Burnley Council, the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale CVS and sponsor Urbaser, the awards aimed to put the spotlight on people in Burnley and Padiham who go out of their way to help others and make a difference to someone’s life.
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Hide AdAnd Jolie is doing that in spades already and it’s hard where to begin with the volunteer work this remarkable teenager does.
First off, for the past six months Jolie has been working to one to one with a vulnerable student at her school, Shuttleworth College. Every break and lunchtime Jolie collects the student from her class and takes her for her breaks and lunch-times to help her build her confidence up.
But this is only half of what Jolie has committed to at her school. Aswell as volunteering to sing at the annual awards evening three years in a row Jolie gives her time to help supervise extracurricular activities and every half term she volunteers to assist with in-class support for younger students who benefit from the motivation and support of a role model.
Helping others began at a young age for Jolie when she would regularly visit residents at Padiham’s Woodside Home for the Elderly and take them home-made gifts at Christmas. Describing her as a ‘young girl with a heart of gold’ care manager Pauline O’Neill said Jolie embodied “selfless qualities that are so lovely to see in the younger generation.”
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Hide AdA natural on the stage, when she was just five, Jolie was chosen to appear in Three Mobile’s ad, appearing alongside a singing cat. The #SingItKitty video, which showed Jolie racing through a cul-de-sac on a pink bike belting out Starship’s 1980s’ anthem “We Built This City”, went on to rack up three million views on YouTube.
Jolie lives in Padiham with her proud parents, Jodie and Adam Forrest and little sister Trixie (eight) who are all bursting with pride.
Jodie said: “Jolie truly is one of a kind and the most hard working, courageous and caring 14-year-old girl you could ever wish to meet.
“She loves to entertain and make people happy and is always there to help lift people’s spirits.”
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Hide AdA member of Burnley theatre school BASICS, Jolie’s uncle is former West End star Andrew Derbyshire who also appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Last year Jolie was asked to perform with her uncle at London’s famous Archer Street for London Pride.
Jolie uses her talents to help others too as every Saturday she volunteers at the Dynamic Dance Studio helping young children to develop and improve their dancing skills. During the pandemic, when she was only 12, Jolie helped to lift everyone’s spirits by running TikTok classes on zoom. Dance school owner Lorna Digger said: “Jolie is a wonderful role model and all the pupils really look up to her.
“She always carries a smile and is happy to help anyone.”
Jolie also helps to choregraph dance classes at her old primary school, Padiham Green, a group of dancers she coached came second in a dance competition.
After receiving her award Jolie said: “I am blown away to have received the Above and Beyond award. I love doing everything I do and to be nominated for this award felt amazing.
“I want to thank my mum and dad, because without them I wouldn’t be able to do everything I do and be who I am.”