AN 11-year-old has been awarded Young Person of the Year at the 2024 Dudley Borough Community Awards for paddleboarding a whopping 100km for charity.

Lenny Liddell, from Stourbridge, paddled down the River Wye from Glasbury, Powys to Ross-on-Wye in June this year, a challenge that took three days to complete.

His tireless fundraising efforts raised more than £2,500 for Tumble Down Tots - a charity that supports people with children with additional needs - that is very close to his heart.

All smiles from the Liddell family All smiles from the Liddell family (Image: ROB DAVIES) Lenny has spent several years learning to live with Autism and ADHD and has made many great friends through attending Tumble Down Tots himself.

He said he wanted to take on this challenge for them and other people like him who Tumble Down Tots support every day.

Speaking after picking up his award, he said: “I’m feeling really proud. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.”

His dad, Duncan and mum, Jackie watched on proudly as their son took to the stage at the ceremony last Thursday, November 21, to accept the award.

Duncan said: “The sponsored paddle was all he wanted to do.

“We were worried about how we were going to get it off the ground.

“Most adults would struggle to do what he did, let alone an 11-year-old with autism and ADHD.

“On the second day, he paddled for 12 hours and I had to carry him into the tent that night.

Duncan and Jackie watched on proudly as Lenny accepted his awardDuncan and Jackie watched on proudly as Lenny accepted his award (Image: Newsquest) “He had used everything he had but still woke up the next day and finished it.”

Jackie added: “Lenny is just an individual. He’s non-conformist and he’s not scared of anything.

“I don’t think he was expecting the ceremony to be so elaborate.

“He’s loved it.”

Jackie said that Lenny now faces a different kind of challenge – getting settled into secondary school.

But, clearly determined, Lenny will no doubt take everything in his stride.

Duncan said: “He struggles with things, but he never loses his sense of self or sense for others.

“It’s been a very long journey to get to this point, a journey that we are still on, and we’re incredibly proud of him."