A 13-year-old who had the idea of making Ely College an eco-school won the child of achievement title at the 2021 Ely Hero Awards.
James Homent, who is a member of the Eco Ely group and is described by judges as "a confident but unassuming young man", helped the school win a bronze award for its green focus.
"He is passionate about green issues and has lots of ideas of how he can guide the school towards a silver award," added the judges.
James plays an active role in tree planting, publicly speaking and presenting on behalf of this community group.
"He is undeniably passionate and determined to make a difference on environmental issues and pushing for a positive change in Ely," the judges added.
"He also regularly participates in charity and community events to raise money for good causes."
James’s nominee said “he is an amazing asset to the eco community, tirelessly searching for solutions to make positive changes”.
The other finalists in this category were:
Lorretta Hellman
Lori is, say judges, "a very modest young person who genuinely does not seem to think that she had done anything amazing.
"Yet, in effect, if she had not pushed her boundaries and stepped in to help, 7,500 people would have struggled to receive their vital medical prescriptions in the community via a local business.
"Lori is socially anxious and finds it difficult to speak to strangers but has taken on the task of answering calls and arranging deliveries of medical items to vulnerable individuals in the community.
"She has built rapports with the community that has helped her overcome some of her own personal challenges."
Lori’s nominee said “she has been unseen and unknown but she is a hero”.
Bradley Watts
A "confident and mature nine-year-old, Bradley gained inspiration from a family friend who is a nurse and the war veteran Sir Tom to raise money for the NHS by running.
Despite his asthma, he is determined to keep active, so Bradley arrange to run 6K a day (30K in total) around his local village recreation ground in Isleham.
Bradley’s fundraising efforts resulted in a fabulous £1,000 to help support his chosen cause.
A busy and dedicated student at a local school with other sporting commitments, Bradley wanted to give his free time to help the national heroes and give something back.
His mum said “Bradley is always wanting to help others - he is our little hero”.
Maisie Prigg
Eleven-year-old Maisie became very unwell at the age of three, requiring high dependency treatment.
This led to several diagnoses including gastrointestinal, respiratory and ENT problems.
Her young life has revolved around illness and hospital visits, both locally and to see her specialists at a children’s hospital with a six-hour round trip each time.
Despite this, Maisie never feels sorry for herself and always thinks of others first.
She has been unable to access school for over a year which has had a huge impact on her.
However, she has been using a variety of virtual platforms to keep in touch with her closest friends.
She has had some very frightening experiences including being blue-lighted in to A&E countless times.
Maisie has battled on despite what life has thrown at her, surrounded by the deep love and support of parents.
She "continues to be an inspiration to those who know her".
Her mum describes her as “a special gift”.
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