A TEENAGER, whose brother was knocked down and killed by a drunk driver in Dubai, has been honoured for his fundraising efforts for bereaved children.
Former student at St Michael’s Catholic Academy, Billingham, Luke Duffy, 17, was presented with the prestigious Tom Brown Award at the school’s annual awards ceremony.
Luke’s brother Gavin, 29, also a former pupil at St Michael’s, was killed in November 2013 after being hit in a road traffic accident while on holiday in Dubai.
Luke is currently undertaking an apprenticeship in sports coaching at St Bede’s Primary School, Stockton.
He took up long distance running to help raise funds for other young people who have suffered the loss of a parent or sibling, in memory of Gavin, a keen footballer and runner with the Billingham Marsh House Harriers.
Luke also raised in excess of £1,000, with the help of fellow year group students, through cake sales, tombolas and a sponsored staff verses students football match to buy a new strip for the school’s Year 10 football team.
The kit, which was dedicated to his brother Gavin, saw the team triumph in the 2014 County Cup tournament with centre midfielder Luke scoring the opening goal in the final game.
“I feel so proud to have been given The Tom Brown Award,” said Luke, who has just completed the Great North Run for The Jo and Mya Memorial Charity, which helps bereaved children and their families.
“My friends and all the staff here at St Michael’s really pulled together after we lost Gav and supported me in all the fundraising events.
“It was especially nice to receive the award from Tom’s family as his brother Andy was one of the first people who contacted me after Gav was killed to offer me and my family support.
”Luke was presented with his award, by Andy, Christopher and Jacinta Brown whose brother and son Tom Brown, 16, a former pupil at St Michael’s Academy, was tragically killed in a road collision in April 2013.
Mr Brown, who designed the award depicting four books with titles Look to The Future, Tom Brown’s Schooldays, Lasting Impressions and Don’t Look Back, also presented Luke with a cheque for £50.
“Obviously in many ways we would prefer not to have to give this award as it acknowledges that Luke has suffered a heartbreaking loss in his life just as we did when we lost Tom,” said Mr Brown.
“However Luke has taken that loss and with great courage has used it to help other people and he should be really proud of that.
“It is extremely important to us each year that by keeping Tom’s memory alive through this award we can help to honour deserving young people.”
The award was one of dozens presented at the event, hosted by St Michael’s head teacher Andrew Ramsey.
Addressing the students at the ceremony, which also paid tribute to those killed in the terrorist attacks in Paris, Mr Ramsey said: “This group of students have been described as a year group like no other and are all extremely deserving of their awards.”
Trophies and cups were presented for special awards including academic excellence, strength and character, outstanding GCSE results, citizenship, sport, music, courage and contribution to school life and each student was presented with a Destiny Star by guest speaker and chair of directors of the Carmel Education Trust Cyndi Hughes.
She said: “The class of 2015 achieved the highest number of A* and A grades ever at St Michael’s and all of its year group moved into either further education, apprenticeships or training, with two of its young people signing professional sporting contracts.”
Results:
Subject awards
History: Lauren McLoughlin
Textiles: Lucy Bittlestone
Food: Oliver Cox
Graphics: Megan Ford
Resistant Materials: Jack Martin
Art: Amanda Cardoza
ICT: Jim Sinclair
Maths: Jack Martin
Physics: Adam Davies
Biology: Erin McLaughlin
Media Studies: Bobby Drinkel
RE: Sophie Wilkinson and Jack Wilkinson
Geography: Ethan Hamilton
Music: Joe Buck
Business: Nathan Tonks
English Literature: Alice Gallagher
English Language: Liam Connor
Special Awards
Edna Early Award for Worship: Rebecca Knowlson
Trevor Gaynor Award: Amy Buck
Martin Wing Award for Music: Brandon O’Brien
Johnson Matthey Award for Chemistry: Beth Little
Lew Milburn Award: Sophie Bass
Trevor Gaynor Award for Cricket: Elliot Wing
Maureen Jamieson Award: Zak Malkin
SRC Bede College Award: Frances White
Stockton Sixth Form Award: Megan Ford
SVP Award: Amber Plummer
Peter Robinson Award: Niamh Twomey
Alan Parker Award: Max Bover
David Armstrong Award for Contribution to School Life: Olivia Shovlin
Mandy Bell Award: James Dodsworth
Shaun Lowrey Award: Liam Travers
Nicholas Welch Trophy: Chloe Gilhooley
Griffin Charity and Community Shield: Abigail Soumare, Catherine Ward and Olivia Smith
Heenan Compassion Shield: Luke Donnelly and Chloe Francis
Wiseman Integrity Shield: William Vernon-Cook
Vaughan Integrity Shield: Elish Chambers
Pastoral Award: Eve Armstrong, Adam Sunley, Hannah Wilson, Emily Aston, Leon Robinson, Lindsey Wilson, Stephen McCluskey, Jenna Lightowler, Emily Richardson, Ben Brown, Rachel Simms, Hannah Proctor, Domonic Puckrin, Gabrielle Redhead, Laura Simpson, Hannah McDougall, Ciaran Trafford, Ryan Blackett
Carmel Education Trust Exceptional Service: Sophie Wilkinson, Luke Duffy, Rhiannon Matthews, Oliver Cox, Reece Wilkinson, Amy Harris, Harry Clarkson, Ross Beall and Daniel Lawrence
Carmel Education Trust Exceptional Merit: Elish Cahmbers, Max Bover, Amy Buck, Jim Sinclair, Olivia Douglas, Joe Buck, Olivia Shovlin, Ethan Hamilton
Carmel Educational Trust Exceptional Dedication: Oliver Howes, Tom Smith, Kai Adams, Charlotte Callender, Bobby Drinkel, Sean Brown, Joseph Shovlin, Moeash Ezeala, Ross Beall, George Bailey, Grace Dowson, Jack Maddren, Luke Cullem, Jessica Bayley and Naomi Ramsay
Hinsley Scott Award: Jason Diggle
The Good Shepherd Award: Liam Castelow
Tom Brown Award: Luke Duffy
St Michael’s Award: Rhiannon Matthews