Winner: Paisley Laws
Runners Up: Hayden Davies, Joel Lishman and John Docherty
Judges said all four of the Spirit of Youth nominees were stories of inspiration from “shining examples to their peers”, who had shown strength in the face of adversity.
From 16-year-old Hayden Davies, a foster child who has dedicated his time to helping other young people, and saved a woman’s life, to Joel Lishman, 13, and John Docherty, 14, who cycled 170 miles to raise £3,500 for cancer research after Joel’s mother was diagnosed with the disease, the standard was very high.
But it was the determination and positive outlook of 17-yearold Paisley, who was born with cerebral palsy, and has kept a smile on her face despite undergoing numerous painful operations since childhood to improve her mobility, which stood out to the panel.
Paisley, who is 17, quickly recovered from her initial stage fright to thank everyone who had helped and supported her throughout her life, and said she hoped to go to university following her A-Levels in Law, French, Business and English at York College.
Fighting back tears as she accepted her award, she said: “I have got an amazing family and amazing friends. I’ll always get through anything with them, and I’m so thankful.”
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