FERNDOWN students were given thousands of pounds towards achieving their dreams.

More than 30 pupils at Ferndown Upper School were awarded with £15,000 in scholarships and bursaries by Pete and Linda Thornton of the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation.

This month will mark the fifth anniversary of the Foundation, which will have awarded more than £23,000 to more than 500 young people by the end of the year.

Mrs Thornton said: “It’s just brilliant.

“We love coming along to meet the young people who have been awarded. They are a credit to the school and it’s incredible to hear about what they’ve been up to.”

Chloe Allen, 18, who is in her second year of sixth form at the school, said she will be able to buy a new laptop with her scholarship.

“I’ve got a big assessment to do for Central St Martins in London, and this is going to help me so much,” she said.

“I can’t believe this has happened. I feel so fortunate – it’s amazing.”

Sam Parker, 16, will use his scholarship to further his sports career in Brazilian Jujitsu.

He has recently returned from an international competition in America, where he won double gold.

“The money will pay for the flights, so it’s really amazing,” he said.

Year 10 student Edward Holly will use his scholarship to help him work towards his dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

The 14-year-old, who has already been taking flying lessons at Bournemouth Airport, said: “I’ve been flying for nearly a year now, and I’ve been awarded with £1,000 towards that.

“It’s so helpful and it means I can keep working towards my goal.”

Mrs Thornton said her son John, who was killed in southern Afghanistan on March 30 2008 while serving with the Royal Marines, would have been “chuffed” at the success of the Foundation.

“He would have been amazed,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to help these young people achieve their goals.”