James Smith

James has always committed a large amount of his time to supporting those around him since his family set up a charity supporting Children's Palliative Care Hospices in South Africa when he was young. He is extremely passionate about the work that he does and dedicates a considerable amount of time to this. His role as a mentor would see him meet both the children twice a month, for a combined total of c.20 hours a month. The work that James does isn't just about a one off activity, it's about continuing a lifelong passion of supporting those around him. He takes significant time out of his own life to support a variety of different charities - whether that is the family charity that supports children in Africa, or through running events for Save the Children or acting as a mentor for local children, to provide them with a sense of stability when times are hard. The opportunity to carry the flame would be fantastic for James and a fantastic thank you from all those that he has supported not just in the last 12 months, but since he first started supporting charity work. Its inspiring to see such a young man so dedicated to helping those around him without asking for anything in return. He believes in creating a better lifestyle for young children in the UK and also in Africa through both his fundraising and volunteering. In an environment where we are experiencing an increase in youth crime and 'gang culture', the willingness of James to get involved and try and stop children taking part in this is absolutely fantastic.