Thomas was nominated for the award by LFC Foundation's Kicks Coordinator, Paul Wright for his fantastic commitment towards the Onside + programme.

Our Onside+ initiative is designed to empower young people by boosting their aspirations and motivations in secondary schools, alternative education settings, and colleges. Funded by Merseyside Police, the main focus of the curriculum is to educate young people about County Lines and Child Exploitation.

Paul explained, “I feel that this nominee deserves the award as since I first started my engagement with Thomas during the delivery of the Onside+ programme at Meadow Park, he has continually impressed me.

"Thomas has demonstrated that he's a bright and enthusiastic pupil with vast knowledge that has not only impressed me, but has helped massively with engagement from the rest of the class. When Thomas is answering or asking a question, it helps others in the class to understand the topic being discussed as he describes things in such a way his peers can better grasp.

"The descriptions and explanations that he gives are fantastic, which as I have already mentioned, continually impress me.”

Seeing how dedicated and enthusiastic Thomas has been with the programme demonstrates his willingness to learn, which is so important considering how common issues surrounding County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation are among young people. The valuable knowledge gained from these sessions has the potential to prevent young people, like Thomas, from being coerced into engaging in criminal activities, so it is great to see him engaging with the curriculum.

As well as learning about County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation, the programme participants have been able to identify issues within their communities and vote on which issue they would like to highlight and raise awareness for. Thomas has played an influential role during the planning of how to raise awareness for their chosen subject, Knife Crime.

Through his dedication and passion for the programme, he has proven himself to be a committed student with a positive future ahead of him. Not only has he benefited himself but he has inspired his classmates to help tackle serious issues facing the young people in our region.

Thomas said, ‘’I am made up that I won the award, I was so surprised and grateful to Paul for nominating me. I’m also so proud of myself and my school’’.

Miss Anna Hudson (School Teacher) expressed, ‘’It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the LFC Foundation and to see the incredible work that has been produced throughout the Onside+ project. We are delighted to discover that Thomas has won the 'Champion of the month' and we have been so impressed by the commitment and dedication that he has shown throughout the project. Thomas embodies all of the qualities that we strive for at Meadow Park; patience, kindness, hard work and resilience. We have no doubt that this award will have a long lasting impact and we are incredibly proud of his wonderful achievement. Well done Thomas!’’