MATT Davis, 18, of Wells, received a Sandy Padgett Award in the Pride of Somerset Youth Awardsfor turning his life around after some testing times at secondary school.
He was close to permanent exclusion when his father died from cancer at the end of year 10. At the age of 15, his mother left suddenly, leaving him and his sister to live elsewhere.
He was left feeling angry, betrayed and bitter but he threw himself into his school work, gaining a clutch of GCSEs and even though he found himself unemployed when he left school, he kept trying and found a job after a year and a half.
For more photos from the presentation ceremony, click on the Related Links below.
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