A GREENFORD High School student is the Weil Young Mentor of the Year.

The award was made by the youth charity, Power2, at its graduation ceremony in London on Tuesday.

Annabelle Esparon-Bakas, 13, was praised for her commitment to the Teens and Toddlers programme, in which young people become mentors to children at local nursery schools.  

Power2’s Programme lead, Heather Johnson, said: “Annabelle showed great determination during her weekly sessions. She was quite shy when we started but worked through being out of her comfort zone.

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“In the beginning, the toddler was intolerant of other children and bad at sharing. Annabelle patiently helped her develop more empathy and to communicate more calmly.

“It was inspiring to see them both grow in confidence and understanding.”

Annabelle said: “I’m proud as I came a long way to achieve this. I opened up to my group and I became more confident about myself, the way I do work and how I’ve changed my toddler’s life.”

Lou Grimley, her associate deputy head at Greeford High, added: “We recommended Annabelle for Teens and Toddlers as we felt she needed a confidence boost after a tough year – and how it has worked!”