Helen Maddison

Helen Maddison is 24 years old and has already been an inspiration to many young people's lives. Helen is a primary school teacher and goes above and beyond her responsibilities as a teacher. Helen has organised many after-school clubs, including a netball club, gymnastics club, science and spanish club at the primary school where she works, even though this means her free time during the day and after work is taken up teaching all the extra-curricular subjects.

Helen is the first teacher to volunteer to help organise sports days, school trips and accompany the children on out-of-school activities, some which take place in the evenings and weekends. Helen gives 100% to making sure the school children are able to take part in all the after-school opportunities that are possible by giving up her own free time and I am not the only one who feels it is time Helen's dedication and selflessness to her school children is truly appreciated.

Helen has been to Lourdes with the Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust for the past six years and has played an important part in raising money to fund the handicapped children's plane tickets to Lourdes. Helen says the first trip she took to Lourdes in 2003 changed her outlook on life.

Helen has already nominated her dad to carry the Olympic torch, however has not asked anyone to nominate herself even though she would absolutely love to be a part of the Olympics, she is always happy, full of life and is my best friend in the world.