Caring Bognor teenager clinches top youth award

Amber has become the overall winner of the 2008 Arun youth community awards after being entered into the charity and bravery categories.

She was the judges' choice for the top prize among the 22 entrants.

Amber (17), of Victoria Drive, was recognised for all the hard work she has put into looking after her family and the way she has coped with a life-threatening illness.

She routinely looks after her younger sister, who has Anglemans Syndrome, to help their single mum, Sarah Boote-Cook, who is a full-time nurse.

A serious bowel condition has seen Amber in and out of hospital in Southampton most weeks since she was diagnosed last year.

Despite this, her citation told of her amazing personality and great sense of humour.

She said after she received her engraved glass award: "I was quite overwhelmed to win. I thought I was just a nominee."

She intends to use her experiences of the past year to help other people.

"I was on a beauty therapist course at college but I had to give that up when I became ill," she explained. "Now, I want to become a nurse.

"After all the help I have had, I want to give something back. The nurses on the high dependency unit in the Southampton hospital have given me a lot of care and support. I just want to be like that.

"I will be able to relate to other patients because of all I have been through."

Amber's recognition was the highlight of an evening of youth honours at the Arun Civic Centre at Littlehampton which emphasised the courage and selfishless of many young people.

Arun District Council chairman Cllr Graham Tyler, who was among those making the presentations, said: "It is a great honour to be part of this event. It is such an inspirational occasion.

"We hear a lot about youths who behave badly but the majority of them are not like that. They are more like those who are here and they are absolutely brilliant."

More than 100 people attended the presentation ceremony for the awards which are organised by Inspire Leisure working with Arun District Council and the Arun Youth Council.