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Last year’s Northern Children of Courage Awards were cancelled due to Covid, so the organisers decided to bring the winners together to present them with their much-deserved accolades.

Organised and supported for the third year by The St James’s Place Charitable Foundation, the awards were split over two age categories (under 12 and 13-17 years old), and presented in six categories.

These were - Outstanding Bravery, Fundraising Award, Special Recognition, Young Carer of the Year Award, Sporting Achievement and Care Team Award – to an adult team for care and support above and beyond expectations.

Nine-year-old Ellie Renton from Kirkby Malzeard, Ripon, plays powerchair football with Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club.

She has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 2 and has never been able to walk.

A spokesman for the awards said: “She particularly enjoys playing powerchair football and is the youngest player in the National League and enjoys the sport as she can mix with adults and children in a similar position to herself.”

Mark Beverley from the St James’s Place Charitable Foundation was proud of each of the children who won an award.

“These young people are remarkable and are an inspiration to us all,” he said.

“We all have things going on in our lives but the courage these young people have shown is amazing and they all deserve the recognition they’ve received.”

The next awards will take place on Friday May 6 at Gateshead Hilton. Please contact [email protected] for nomination forms.

Pictured: Award winners holding awards, from left, Tyler Ridley, Donna Swan, Lyla O Donovan, Calum Lane Tingle, Louis Rich. Ellie Renton, Sean Benyon, Tanya Wilson and Erin Cockburn. Photography by Dan Aziz