A DETERMINED teenager has been awarded for his kindness and resilience at an award show celebrating youth in the community.

Frankie Draper, 13, of Clacton, plays for two football teams, enjoys going to gigs and singing with cover bands in his spare time.

After his father had an accident which left him disabled from the knees down, Frankie took on more responsibility.

Frankie’s mother Rhonda Draper said she is proud of the young man he is becoming but wishes it was under more favourable circumstances.

She said: “Frankie’s father Steve was a delivery milkman for 33 years, he had just started on the lorries when he was crushed from the knees down.

“He was working with a heavy milk trolley and when he pulled it a crate of milk weighing more than a quarter of a ton crushed his legs.

“He had surgeries and rebuilding done to his ankle over the years and had a replacement. At first he was bedridden so he gained weight, that developed into issues with his pancreas and liver, he now he has diabetes."

The accident happened in 2014 when Frankie was just five-years-old, Rhonda was Steve’s sole carer for a period before going to going to university.

Whilst she was studying, Frankie took care of his father as much as a child could, helping him get water, medicine and help with his clothing.

As he grew older, Frankie started helping his father even more before his older sister Georgie noticed the work he was doing.

Rhonda said: “One day Georgie popped in was shocked that Frankie had cooked dinner, ran a bath for myself and helped his father get dressed.

“We were proud but a bit concerned because no-one that young should have that much responsibility.”

This encounter and others led to Georgie nominating Frankie for the young carer award at this year’s Tendring Youth Awards.

Frankie did not win that award but still managed to be successful on the night, winning the committee award.

The committee award is given to one of the shortlisted nominees from any category which stands out for special acknowledgement.

Rhonda added: “Frankie was actually embarrassed when he found out he had been nominated because he did not think what he was doing was special.

“He did not want to go but we managed to encourage him and it was definitely worth it.

“You don’t find out whether you’ve won beforehand so there was a lot of suspense and the committee award was announced at the end.”

Frankie would like to be a policeman when he is older to help the community, a goal he has had since he was seven-years-old.

He regularly stays with his sister Georgie to help take care of her two young children.

The Tendring Youth Awards celebrate achievements by young people across a range of categories – along with a category for adults who support young people in Tendring.

For more information on the awards visit bit.ly/3Oq2Bzm.