The 13 amazing winners of the 2024 Child of Wales Awards

Child holding an award
-Credit: (Image: Ross Grieve)


The 2024 Child of Wales Awards, which acknowledges and celebrates the inspirational achievements of the young people of Wales while raising money for charities has shone a spotlight once again on 13 youngsters. This year, the ceremony returned to Swansea for the third time and the action took place at Swansea Arena.

Across 13 different categories, including community champion and exceptional young carer, the amazing children of Wales were celebrated. This year the ceremony was hosted by Gethin Jones and attended by stars including Love Island's Liam Reardon and Paige Thorne and The Traitor's Andrew Jenkins.

There was also a special message from the cast of Gavin & Stacey, which you can read more about, here. Let's find out more about the brilliant children who did Wales proud last night, September 27:

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Child of Courage (13+) - Eden Lewis

Eden, 18, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and lung metastases in 2020. Despite surgeries and chemotherapy, her cancer was declared terminal on March 3, 2022. Given only months to live, Eden faced her diagnosis with remarkable resilience.

She completed her GCSEs with five Bs and five Cs, and is now in her third year studying Animal Care at college. Eden also volunteers at a local farm, caring for animals and interacting with visitors, despite being a full-time wheelchair user.

Child of Courage (U13) - Marieme and Ndeye Ndiaye

Marieme and Ndeye, remarkable eight-year-old conjoined twins, were born in Senegal to parents expecting one child. Despite being given only hours to live, they continue to thrive today.

The family moved to the UK for treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital. They live in Cardiff with their father, Ibrahima, while their mother cares for their siblings in Africa. The twins share legs, a pelvis, and a digestive system, but each has her own torso, spine, heart, and lungs. Despite these challenges, they attend mainstream school, participate in everyday activities, and are learning to walk using a frame.

Courageous Family - The Ridler Family

After a five-month battle with their GP, Matthew and Natalie’s son Morgan, then two, was diagnosed with stage four adrenocortical carcinoma and Li-Fraumeni syndrome. His rare cancer required treatment guidance from St. Jude’s Hospital in the USA.

Due to Covid restrictions, only one parent could accompany Morgan, complicating matters for Natalie, who was breastfeeding their daughter, Rhiannon. He beat it once and finished treatment in July 2022 on his third birthday but relapsed and began treatment again in November.

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Sadly, Morgan lost his fight a week before his fourth birthday in June 2023. Matthew and Rhiannon also have Li-Fraumeni syndrome and will undergo regular screening for life.

Throughout their ordeal, the family shared their journey on TikTok, raising awareness and support. Natalie has raised over £70,000 for charities like Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.

Since then, they have created “Morgan’s Army” to honour Morgan’s memory, raising over £350,000 to support families and contribute to various projects.

Exceptional Young Carer - Poppy Roberts

Child holding an award
Poppy is exceptional carer of the year -Credit:Ross Grieve

Poppy Roberts, from north Wales, is a devoted young carer for her twin brothers, Kian and Cory, who have ASD. She has been registered as a young carer since she was five and has taken on the role of their protector and nurturer, helping her brothers with daily tasks, cooking meals, and being their voice when they struggle to communicate.

Outstanding Charities - Faith in Families

Faith in Families is a charity significantly impacting children and families facing challenges in Swansea. Their family centers, operational since 1999, provide vital services such as childcare and lunch clubs, inspiring and supporting communities.

Young Fundraiser - Rhys James

Rhys, eleven, was born with Cystic Fibrosis and requires daily treatments, including nebulizers, physiotherapy, and over 15 tablets. Infections can escalate quickly, leading to lengthy hospital stays.

During lockdown, he began collecting sports memorabilia for charity events. In 2022, he hosted two rugby legends events with his dad, raising £37,000. In June, Rhys organized a golf event, raising an additional £4,000, bringing his total to £41,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Bravery Award - Theo Pulman

One sunny day in August 2023, Theo, then 12, was at the beach with his friends when he noticed nine-year-old Dexter struggling in the water. Dexter was caught in a pool created by the outgoing tide and was in danger.

He swam close to Dexter and instructed him to float on his back like a starfish, following the RNLI’s “Float to Live” advice. This quick thinking helped Dexter stay afloat until the RNLI arrived. You can read more about Theo's story, here.

Young Performer - Jaidan-Rees Griffiths

Child holding an award
Jaidan is young performer of the year -Credit:Ross Grieve

Ten-year-old Jaidan is a talented mathematician and dancer who has overcome significant challenges to achieve remarkable success. Initially struggling with self-confidence, Jaidan joined a local theatre group and excelled, leading to an invitation to take a dance class. Despite dancing for less than a year, Jaidan was selected to represent Team Wales at the Dance World Cup finals, where he won gold in his duo category.

Community Champion - Celyn Matthews-Williams

Ten-year-old Celyn from Llanelli was a Global Goalkeeper at her primary school and a driving force behind several community initiatives. During the pandemic, she started “Callie’s Free Plants,” planting and giving away sunflowers from her garden wall. With her dad’s help, she built “The Little Sunflower Library,” offering free books and encouraging donations.

Environmental Champion - Alyssa Faith Fallorina Dean

Fourteen-year-old Alyssa is passionate about preserving the environment. In 2019, she started making dog poo bag dispensers and placing them around her local area.

In 2020, inspired by a group in England, Alyssa began collecting crisp packet wrappers and turning them into survival blankets. She has completed over 500 blankets for homeless shelters so far. Alyssa has expanded this initiative into survival care packages that include blankets, socks, a hat (knitted by knit & natters in Saltney) a toothbrush, toothpaste, biscuits, and chocolates for those in need.

Young Sporting Hero (13+) - Tomi Roberts-Jones

Before Tomi was born, he suffered a stroke. Diagnosed at five months with congenital hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, doctors were unsure if he would ever walk or talk. Find out about the latest events in Wales by signing up to our What's On newsletter here.

At age ten, Tomi began training as a para-athlete, specializing in the 100m and long jump. In early 2023, worsening epilepsy required Tomi to undergo brain surgery, with the risk of permanent foot drop, potentially impacting his running.

Despite this, Tomi had the surgery at Great Ormond Street just months before the Commonwealth Youth Games. The surgery was successful, and he quickly refocused on his athletic goals. That August, Tomi competed in the Commonwealth Youth Games’ first- ever para event, aiming for gold. Despite a slow start, he finished with a personal best of 13.27 seconds, becoming Wales’ first para gold medalist at the Games.

Young Sporting Hero (U13) - Megan Thyer

Child holding an award
Megan Thyer is a young sporting hero -Credit:Ross Grieve

Twelve-year-old Megan, passionate about Jujitsu, has trained since a young age under her father’s guidance and the coaching team at Satori Jujitsu Llanelli. Megan was the first and only junior selected by Great Britain Jujitsu, pioneering the new Youth team set to compete officially in 2025.

Her dedication led her to compete in European competitions as the sole GB representative, winning two golds and two silvers internationally, and another gold in the European Cup this year. Notably, her first gold was the first ever achieved by Great Britain Jujitsu.

Young Leader - Soffia Kelly

Seventeen-year-old Soffia exemplifies determination and community spirit. Despite facing significant obstacles, including bullying and discrimination for playing football in a boys’ team alongside her twin brother, she secured a two-year contract with Aston Villa Under 21’s Academy and earned a spot on the bench during this year’s senior qualifiers.