A YOUNG man from Thurrock who has autism has been honoured for his filmmaking and charity work.

Samuel Turner, 24, from Stanford-le-Hope but now living in Wales, is a former student at Treetops School, has a proven talent for filmmaking and has won awards for his work, including a film which tells his own story.

"I'm Coming Home" tells his extraordinary story, and culminates in detailing his current role working with the Carmarthen-based charity Cerebra, which supports families with a child with a challenging brain condition.

His previous "interesting, surreal and inspiring films" include The Story of the Vegetable Man (which won him the Southend Film Festival Short Film Competition in 2012), The Referendum Day of Gibraltar and A Disability Matter of War .

As well as making films Samuel works tirelessly for good causes and was nominated in the Pride of Britain awards.

He has now been put forward by Cerebra and named as 'Fundraiser of the Year' for Wales.

Samuel, who also attended Seevic College and Thurrock Adult Community College said, on winning the award: "This really means a lot to me, I'm slightly speechless. I believe that children with a condition always exist and I'm always here to represent that in the future."

Mum Jacky, said: "I could cry with joy, knowing what he's done and what he's achieved, I've been praying for a long time for someone to acknowledge what he can do."

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