 A TEENAGER who devotes his life to helping others is this year's winner of the Anthony Walker Young Citizen of the Year Award. Kurtis King, 16, who is studying for his GCSEs at Shorefield comprehensive, Dingle, was described as an "inspiration to his community" at the Anthony Walker Foundation gala dinner at the Adelphi hotel in Liverpool last night. The teenager spends five nights a week as a volunteer at the 468 community youth club, close to his home in Dingle, working with and inspiring other young people and devoting himself to bettering his community. Two other Merseyside teenagers, Chris Reilly, 19, from St Helens, who set up a website to counsel and help others, and Jon Connel, 17, from Formby, who single-handedly raised more than £14,000 for Jospice, were runners-up. Gee Walker, mother of murdered Huyton teenager Anthony, presented Kurtis with his award together with ECHO editor Alastair Machray. She told Kurtis: "You remind me of Anthony, having a heart for people. "Long may you lead and inspire." Kurtis said: "I was shocked to win but it was a nice surprise and Gee Walker said some very nice things about me." Comedian and charity campaigner Lenny Henry, who helped to present the award and compered a charity auction which raised £25,000 for the Anthony Walker Foundation, said: "This event is really important. "This is fostering a community feeling, going some way to healing rifts in the community." ECHO editor Mr Machray said: "These are three special young people, building better communities." The gala dinner was held in association with Winning Women, spons-ored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency and supported by the Culture Company. Cash and prizes were donated by Rapid Hardware.
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