The Young Citizen Award has found some incredible stories this year, from a mountain climbing teenager who has helped others with his charitable work to a self-taught piano playing fundraiser.
The Recorder/Rotary Young Citizen Award has been made aware of a wide range of exceptional people under the age of 25 since the award launched in February. There is a winner of the award every month that is selected from a pool of nominees. Two people have won the prize so far and their names will go forward to see whether they will win the overall prize, which will be awarded next year.
Cody Lee Smart was the February winner: the brave teen started playing the keyboards at age 8, when he found out that his Mum was fighting breast cancer. A year later, Cody started raising money for the breast cancer unit in Epping where his Mum was being treated. Now aged 13, Cody has raised over £27,000 for a range of different charities and good causes.
The winner in March was Hussain Manawer, of Endsleigh Gardens, Ilford, a 19 year old who raised thousands for the victims of the devastating floods in Pakistan. He raised all the money by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. He is now planning on climbing the Great Wall Of China for the Meningitis Society.
The winners each received £40 to spend at The Exchange Ilford retailer of their choosing, and the overall winner will win £400 to spend.
If you would like to nominate an exceptional young person, fill in the coupon and send in to the Recorder offices, with an explanation of no more than 150 words.