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Home Ford & Slater DAF Leicester News Ford & Slater Sponsors Blaby District Council Outstanding Achievement Awards

Tributes were paid to community champions at Blaby District Council’s sixth Outstanding Achievement Awards on 1st Oct 2009. The prestigious event was held at the Marriot Hotel and Ford & Slater was very proud to sponsor the Outstanding Achievement by a Young Person award.

Ford & Slater is a major employer of young people since we recruit a number of school leavers each year to complete a 3 year apprenticeship through the DAF national dealer apprentice program, earning an NVQ level 3 in truck maintenance and repair.

The apprentice program delivers these young persons with the chance to work on the most modern, sophisticated trucks on the roads in the UK and provides youngsters with well paid and safe employment.

The Outstanding Achievement by a Young Person award is made to a young person who has achieved something truly outstanding and there were 3 most worthy finalists in Patrick Cox, Bryony Gray-Naylor and Declan Parker.

15-year-old Patrick Cox had overcome a lifelong disability to win a gold medal in table tennis at this year’s Special Olympics in Leicester.

Bryony Gray-Naylor is a community champion who has devoted endless hours to make the local area a better place to live. She is a cadet in the St Johns ambulance, a passionate fundraiser, chairperson of the Youth Council and model pupil at Countesthorpe College.

The award was won by Declan Parker who was continually bullied as a child for being overweight. He would retaliate which landed him in trouble at school, however, things began to change when Declan was encouraged to play rugby by his PE teacher. Declan’s mum was advised to find her son an out of school team to help him focus on chanelling his energy into something positive.

Declan joined Market Bosworth Rugby Club and has never looked back, playing sport has  taught him discipline, friendship and team work. Now 18, Declan continues to play for the same club and is also a member of the County Team. He has won four trophies in the last two seasons.

Since overcoming his problems Declan has completed a work placement at Brookvale College where he worked with problem children who were in the same situation as he once was. Here he was able to use his own experiences to guide other youngsters through difficult times in their lives.

Declan can be an inspiration to the many children who are suffering with the same problems he faced while at school, he took those negative experiences and turned them round into something truly positive.  He is shown here with the other finalists being presented with a £500 award by Nigel Strevens, Joint Managing Director of Ford & Slater.