THE “nude” calendar that caused so much discussion around Bega recently has gained its creators two wins at the Youth Awards Australia, ACT and Southern Region,

Run-Ya Enterprises, a group of year 11 students at Bega High School, won the Pam Lane memorial Media Award and National Community Value Award for their creation which featured local community groups appearing discreetly naked.

They were also runner-up in the Company of the Year award.

Run-Ya was finalists in seven categories: business plan, annual report, outstanding product, company of the year, and young businessperson of the year along with those in which they were successful.

Run-Ya Enterprises finance director Matt Dowling said the group was “ecstatic” with their success.

“We were up against 23 companies from throughout the state and to be finalists in seven categories was just unbelievable,” he said.

“Then to win two and be runner-up in another was totally unexpected.”

Matt said the group had sent a detailed submission outlining what they had done which included all the media coverage, the dinner at the Brogo Homestead and the achievement medal they received from Member for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly.

The criteria for the media award stated: “Effective use of the media can provide a major stimulus to the sales and marketing efforts of any company. This award recognises the most creative and effective use of the media and the impact on company results”.

Matt said the support the group received from Bega District News had contributed significantly towards the win.

“We sent everything we have done with the BDN and that must have got us over the line,”

he said.

The community award was judged on “products or services that enhance the local or Australian community. The award recognises a company that has made an outstanding valuable contribution to their community through their product or service or the way they operated”.

“We made the point that everything we did was with the local community,” Matt said.