A POOLE schoolboy is celebrating after receiving a prestigious award for his inspiring charity work.

Kevin Walker, who was injured at the age of one, has spent much of his young life in a wheelchair, but his dedication and enthusiastic volunteer work for spinal injury charity Back Up saw him receive the Diana Award at a ceremony in London.

Established in the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the accolade is a living legacy to her belief that young people have the power to change the world for better.

Kevin, 14, devotes his spare time sharing his personal story of living with spinal cord injury and inspiring young people who share similar experiences. He has thrown himself into helping alongside the charity Back Up, as he feels that he could make a positive difference to someone who may be struggling, just like he was at times.

As a young mentor and a wheel chair skills trainer, Kevin is committed to help other young people overcome their own challenges and develop confidence and skills. Kevin’s can-do-attitude towards life has helped transform the lives of the young people he meets.

He travels the length and breadth of the country sharing his story with others, building hope and encouragement. In his role as wheelchair skills instructor Kevin also teaches the youngsters how to safely use their wheel chairs, control their chairs and develop their newly learnt skills further. He helps their parents and carers by explaining how they can assist their children with encouragement and explains how it feels to be in a chair.

Kevin is a member of the Back Up Trust youth council that organised the Back Up Fest. A fun and music festival where he also performed a short comedy routine. The event raised money for the charity but more inspiring brought the charity to the public’s attention and how they can help people with spinal cord injury.

He manages to also fit in his school work, wheelchair racing training sessions with Poole Athletics Club and recently becoming National U16 champion at 100m, 200m and 400m. He enjoys dressage riding with the help of Riding for the Disabled and has represented Dorset in a number of competitions and displays.