Caring Owen honoured by mayor

Owen Perks, 11, from Wolverhampton, has gone out of his way to help others over the last year, raising more than £1,000 for children who are dealing with a life-changing or life-threatening condition.

To mark his sterling contribution, a special assembly was held at his school, Rakegate Primary on Rakegate Close.

Not only was Owen honoured by the mayor of Wolverhampton, councillor Elias Mattu and his teachers, the icing on the cake was that the event was organised as a surprise for him.

Community fundraiser and campaign manager Jag Poselay, who first met Owen when he was four and has mentored him throughout his charity work over the last year, had arranged to visit the school to speak to children about charity work.

However, after his talk, Owen was invited to stand up and receive his award.

Mr Poselay said: "It was great to see Owen's face when he got his award.

"He is a special boy who has done great things to help others who are less fortunate.

"He told me that he wants to do everything he can to help those who haven't had it as lucky as him.

"I know it was a real honour for the mayor to present this award, which was really kind of him, so I would like to thank everyone involved for making Owen's day so special."

Owen's charity work has included shaving his hair to raise £560 for teenager Jordan Lees, from Beechdale, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

He also sat in a cardboard box for six hours as part of a campaign to raise awareness for people with disabilities.

He will also be walking from Wolverhampton to Walsall on July 29 to raise money for Tommy Brown, from Walsall, who needs to raise money Supporting Tommy Brown’s Future campaign, which aims to raise more than £100,000 in total for the five-year-old, who needs prosthetic legs after losing his to meningitis.

To sponsor Owen on his walk, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/owenperks