A YOUNG man from Thurrock, who now lives in Wales, has shown his commitment to his home area by raising money for the Friends of Treetops School through a sponsored swim.

Sam Turner, who is autistic, has been a long term supporter of Treetops, which he attended as a child, and other good causes in Thurrock and in Wales.

Recently he completed a sponsored swim of 20 lengths and raised almost £600.

Sam says: "Thank you so muchand I am so proud to be part of this experience in helping Treetopsand I am proud to be an honourable member of FOTS.

"50 supporters have helped me raise £599.74."

Sam is no stranger to supporting good causes and being in the limelight, having won several awards for his efforts, shining the spotlight on autism and supporting charities.

Sam at the film awardswith his dad Barry and personal assistant Melanie Clarke.

He is also an accomplished short film maker, having started making when he was just 11 years old and in 2019 won an award at the Wales International Film Festival in Neath for his short film about overcoming the obstacles of living with autism.

He has also raised more than £2,000 for the charity Cerebra UK – which has its headquarters in Carmarthen – by doing runs, and community events.

In 2020 Sam was also named ITV Fundraiser of the Year for the Pride of Britain Awards.