Solent community heroes honoured at Make a Difference Awards

An 11-year-old environmental campaigner and the founder of a school group for Ukrainian children have won awards at a ceremony to honour community heroes.

The BBC's Make a Difference campaign was set up at the start of the first Covid lockdown in March 2020 to help those needing support.

BBC Radio Solent recognised people in eight categories during Tuesday's event at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium.

Judges included broadcaster Chris Packham and author Claire Fuller.

Volunteer: Billie Harris (Portsmouth)

Billie, 11, has lobbied politicians and supermarkets, organised beach cleans and promoted recycling in an effort to reduce plastic waste.

She said: "If everyone thought that someone else would do it... then no-one would do it.

"I don't expect everyone to be perfect, to be the whole picture, but if everyone can be a pixel in that picture then we can make a positive difference to our planet."

Green: Mary Deboos (Ringwood)

Mary set up Ringwood Actions for Climate Emergency (RACE) in 2019 and has worked tirelessly to bring the community together to help the environment.

Her charity organises the town's annual Eco Fair, runs clothes swap events and plants habitats for pollinators.

Her community fridge in the library collects food waste from supermarkets for people to take for free.

RACE also leases land to grow trees from seed and has planted more than 28,000 saplings in the area.

Great Neighbour: Angela Tuck (Southampton)

Angela and her husband Andy took in a Ukrainian family when the war broke out last year.

She noticed that some of the children were attending English schools when they had not learnt to read or write in Ukrainian yet.

As a result, she set up a Ukrainian school group, staffed by volunteers, to help families maintain their cultural identity.

She said: "Those children are really enjoying learning... You can tell it's a community they really feel comfortable with."

Bravery: Will Sears (Christchurch)

In 2019, at the age of 12, Will suffered a haemorrhagic stroke caused by a brain tumour.

Despite his illness, he was able to resume his love of sailing and qualify as a day skipper and dinghy instructor.

Will now takes groups of children on sailing courses as well as volunteering and donating pocket money to buy food for families.

He said: "It's about your ability not your disability, so even if you do have a disability there's probably a way that you can do it and there's a way that you can be amazing at it as well."

Together: Elspeth Giddens (Isle of Wight)

Elspeth works to ignite children's imaginations through a love of literature.

She organises the annual Isle of Wight Story Festival, which includes guest authors, drama, storytelling and workshops, as well as working in schools.

She said: "If you have these stimulating events when you're young, you don't forget them.

"What have we got as human beings? We've got imagination - and that can carry you through life."

Fundraiser: Harley Salter (Portsmouth)

Harley has been actively fundraising for charities for more than five years despite coping with challenges including autism, Tourette's, a foot amputation and more.

He has engaged in physical feats including abseils and distance walks and runs, raising thousands of pounds for the Huntington's Disease Association and other causes.

His mother Vanessa said: "His determination, stamina and resilience is what makes him excel.

"He achieves what people think he cannot do. He achieves the impossible. He just amazes me every single day."

Carer: Joy Ford (Stalbridge)

Joy cared for her teenage son during his mental illness before he took his own life.

In the past two years she became a carer again, for her husband, who died in January.

She has set up a carers' support charity and also produced an information card to help families who have lost loved ones to suicide.

She said: "What you actually need sometimes is just somebody to talk to and to rant to. I just do what needs to be done."

Community Group: Read Easy, Southampton

An estimated 10,000 people in Southampton struggle with reading.

The city's Read Easy branch started in 2021, with volunteer reading coaches so far helping dozens of adults with their literacy skills.

Team leader Nick Mabey said: "There's a stigma associated with not being able to read but we welcome people, we don't have any judgement about that."

Volunteer Lucy Fitzsimmons, who works one-to-one with client Barry, said: "I think this is one of the best things I've ever done. It's just been a wonderful thing to be part of Barry's journey."

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