““How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but can start right now to gradually change the world!”

Those were the optimistic words of Anne Frank on 26 March, 1944.

I was reminded of them yesterday when I joined this year’s winners of the Anne Frank Awards 2008 at the BBC Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House, London. The awards are given to young people and educators who have shown great personal strength, moral courage, and determination to stand up for what is right. It recognises the courage of those who speak out, go out of their way for others, and stick out their necks for the common good is identified and held up as a shining example to us all. They stand up against thugs, bullies and cowards and selflessly help improve the lives of others.

One of the recipients was Nick Bennett, a brain injury survivor who campaigns for Headway Cambridgeshire. Nick was 17 and a self-confessed ‘boy racer’ who had recently passed his driving test at 17 when he had a horrific head-on crash with a lorry by recklessly overtaking two cars. He spent 10 months in intensive care at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge fighting for survival and is now confined to a wheelchair.

Last year, Nick started visiting local secondary schools to warn other young people about dangerous driving. His personal story moves everyone he meets.

“Don’t make the same stupid mistake as me,” is the important message Nick wants all young drivers to remember when they are behind the steering wheel.

Nick has joined other winners for a memorable trip to Amsterdam where they will visit the Anne Frank House. He is pictured with his sister Angela, who is joining him on the trip, and Jeanette, a manager at Headway Cambridgeshire where I am a trustee.

I must share with you some of the other personal stories of courage because at a time when our newspaper headlines are full of stories about evil deeds committed by some youths, it is inspiring and good for the soul to remember that they are a very tiny minority. And here are some excellent examples of other Anne Frank winners who joined Nick yesterday:

Alexander Rose, 19: His close friend was stabbed to death in 2006 and the following year his cousin was also stabbed, but fortunately survived. These incidents drove Alexander to take a stand against violence and he campaigns around London against gun and knife crime. He has designed a range of posters and t-shirts bearing the message “STOP”. He is now working with the Met Police to help stop violent crimes of this nature in the city.

Sammie Hamilton, 9: Young Sammie has set up a youth charter to ensure respect and equality in her school and has worked on an anti-bullying scheme that looks at how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim. She chairs an action group campaigning to provide education for children in Kenya.

Emma Speigler: She founded an online support group called COAP, “Children of Addicted Parents”, in 2006 after a difficult childhood watching her mother’s battle with alcoholism. She published a collection of poems called ‘Missing Mummy; living in the shadow of an alcoholic’, which convey the emotions she felt as the daughter of an alcoholic.

I asked Emma how her mother was now, having lost three dear friends to drink, and she told me she has been dry for two-and-half years. I was so happy for her, and my eyes welled up as I remembered my friends’ wasted lives cut short.

It was a celebrity star-studded bash. The ceremony was hosted by Ade Adepitan, the television presenter and wheelchair basketball player. You can see me squeezed comfortably between actors Dean Andrews, star of Life on Mars, and Nathaniel Parker, who is drop dead gorgeous with a wicked smile and wonderful deep eyes, well known as Inspector Lynley.

I spoke to Tamsin Greig, as my son James was an extra in Love Soup with her. She said she remembered him and recorded a special message for him on my video which he was thrilled about. She is fabulous, utterly sensational, a natural star.

Ellie Kendrick, who plays Anne Frank in the BBC’s forthcoming drama of the Diary of Anne Frank, presented an ward too, and we saw some moving clips from the harrowing film. She looked so much like Anne in the film.

Then along came the dashing John Pienaar, the BBC’s political correspondent, straight from reporting Prime Minister’s Question Time, and I whisked him off into a tiny room past security so he could record his views about youth crime today and those selfless young people at the awards ceremony who were leading by their excellent examples:

The memorable afternoon finished with some wonderful singing by the stunning soprana star Natasha Marsh, the voice of Euro 2008, who paid tribute to the worthy winners.

I wonder what Anne Frank would think of this fantastic event, and the legacy she left behind. It’s extraordinary that her girlish scribblings touched millions of hearts around the world and have been been immortalised. I remember the impact her diary had on me when I read it as a young girl, how moving and tragic it was.

I shall finish with another quote from the young and tender Anne Frank:

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death.”

Update: this is a YouTube I also made of Nick at the awards.