A CHRISTCHURCH teenager was highly commended for overcoming his speech and language difficulties in a glittering awards ceremony held in London.

Dylan Milner, 17, was a finalist in the Young Person of the Year category in the 2013/2014 Shine a Light Awards, for his determination to overcome his speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

Dylan, who was diagnosed as a child with severe speech and language difficulties, used his determined attitude to achieve the GCSE results he needed to study a BTEC Level 2 Sports Course.

He also uses his previous experiences to give other students confidence and self-belief and help them achieve their potential like he did himself.

Dylan said that it was great to be recognised for all the hard work he put in. He added: “However, I would never have been able to obtain my GCSEs and get on my chosen course without the support and help of all the staff at Moor House School, when I moved there for Year 11.”

The awards event was hosted by broadcaster and health campaigner, Anne Diamond, and was organised by Pearson Assessment in conjunction with The Communication Trust, which is a group of not-for-profits organisations helping those with communication difficulties.

Chris Hall, one of the judges for the Shine a Light Awards and managing director of Pearson Assessment, said: “Dylan is seen as a role model by some of the younger pupils at Moor House School. They have seen that with hard work and belief in your goals, you can achieve a lot, even when faced with obstacles.”

He added: “It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Dylan Milner for being highly commended for Young Person of the Year. We have been blown away by this year’s nominations and seen some truly inspiring examples of work being carried out to support children and young people with SLCN.”