Prince’s Trust Awards recognise young people with SEN

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Graeme Croton is presented with his award by HRH the Prince of Wales and Joanna Lumley.

Young people with SEN were amongst those honoured for their entrepreneurial achievements at the recent Prince’s Trust and L’Oréal Paris Celebrate Success Awards in London.

In a glamorous ceremony at the Odeon Leicester Square, 25-year-old Graeme Croton from Birmingham was awarded the Balfour Beatty Community Impact Award for Project Aspie, an initiative he established to provide information and support to young people affected by Asperger’s syndrome. Graeme, who has Asperger’s syndrome himself, experienced a very unhappy time at school where he suffered social exclusion before leaving with few qualifications. “It is inspiring that Graeme is now using his experiences to improve other people’s lives”, said actress Joanna Lumley who announced Graeme’s Award. “His positive contribution to his community is definitely something that should be celebrated.”

Kevin Lawrence from Chatham was presented with the RBS Enterprise Award for his work with the Trust to establish a successful gardening business.  Kevin was diagnosed with a range of SEN, including ADHD, dyslexia and autism, which meant that he had a challenging time at school and was often a target for bullies. Presenting Graeme with his award, Paralympian Ade Adepitan praised Graeme for building “a positive future for himself through hard work, grit and determination”, adding that “He is an inspiration to other young people considering setting up on their own in business.”

Kevin Lawrence with HRH the Prince of Wales.The ceremony was hosted by TV favourites Ant and Dec with Awards being presented by HRH the Prince of Wales and a glittering cast of Prince’s Trust ambassadors, including TV presenter Gok Wan, actress Keeley Hawes, comedian Justin Lee Collins and former Spice Girl Emma Bunton. Brit Award winner Emeli Sandé, a newly recruited ambassador for the Trust, also performed live to the audience of 1,500 in the West End venue.

The Prince’s Trust has supported more than 650,000 young people in new enterprise ventures since it was established in 1976:
www.princes-trust.org.uk

SEN News Team
Author: SEN News Team

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