To mark International Friendship Day on Saturday 30th July 2022, toy company Mattel has announced the winners of the inaugural ‘Thomas & Friends International Friendship Day Awards’, presented to them by Aston Merrygold.
Aston Merrygold with one of the winners Imogen Mills
From hundreds of entrants across the UK, five young winners aged between four and eight years old were selected by a judging panel and each presented with their award by musician and celebrity dad Aston Merrygold at a special awards ceremony at London?s Soho Hotel.
Each winner has shown an outstanding example of friendship, which has demonstrated putting others first, kindness, and going above and beyond to help a friend.
Five children have been recognised for selfless acts of kindness including helping a friend through leukaemia and raising money for children who were going hungry in their school. Winners were picked from 600 nominations from fellow friends, family and even teachers to celebrate the most caring acts among children as young as four years old. Winner Grace Prior
One of the stories from the awards was that of four-year-old Noah Raine from Birmingham, who supported his friend Dylan throughout his treatment for leukaemia. Despite being unable to see him in person due to how unwell he was, he would frequently show his support by visiting him to look through the front window, with the boys drawing on either side.
Other winners included Imogen Mills, a six-year-old from Bridgend ...