A youth service's innovative use of virtual reality has been honoured with a national award.

Anglesey Council's youth service has been making use of VR technology to help people better understand the impact of trauma and adverse experiences during childhood.

More than 150 young people and over 250 professionals have been taking part in the initiative as part of efforts by the council to gain recognition for Anglesey as a 'trauma informed island.

Now, the youth service has won the Digital Innovation category at the 2025 Wales Youth Work Excellence Awards.

Nia Williams, youth service manager, said: "I would like to sincerely thank every member of staff in the Youth Service for their hard work, dedication and ongoing commitment. This recognition is a testament to the efforts of the whole team."

Through the virtual reality technology, immersive experiences help to explore topics such as exploitation, knife crime and online saety.

One young person who took part said: "Using the VR headset made it way easier to understand what's going on in the teenage brain and that it's normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes."

The technology has also been used to strengthen the knowledge and skills of professionals across education, health, policing and other partner organisations, helping them recognise and respond more effectively to trauma-related behaviours.

The judges praised the project as a powerful example of digital innovation in youth work, recognising its positive impact on young people and its contribution to building more informed, resilient communities.

Cllr Dyfed Wyn Jones, who holds the children and young people portfolio, added: "This is a fantastic achievement for our youth service and thoroughly deserved recognition for an innovative project that is making a real difference to the lives of young people across Anglesey."

"The team's commitment to supporting young people, embracing new technology and working collaboratively with partners demonstrates the positive impact that youth work continues to have in our communities. Congratulations to everyone involved on this well-earned national award."