TWO special young people have been honoured in this year's Porlock Youth Achievement Award.

The scheme was set up by the parish council to show how much the village valued and recognised the hard work and dedication of its young people.

This year's winner has been named as Matilda Adlington, with Oliver Kelham as runner-up.

Matilda is both community-minded and a prize-winning sportswoman, while Oliver is a gifted musician, sportsman and public speaker.

Matilda plays football for Minehead Girls Under 13s and won player of the match in the final of last year's Youth Football Championship in Minehead.

In her first competitive kick boxing tournament she won a silver medal in the Under 14s category and in the last two Porlock Fun Runs she came first in the Under 13s girls' section.

She devised and organised a winning walking carnival entry in the village carnival, is a regular prize winner at the annual Porlock Horticultural Show and completed an 11-miles sponsored walk which raised £147 for Animals in Asia.

Matilda also alerted the owner of one of the local shops to the fact that it was flooding, so preventing the damage from being much worse.

Runner-up Oliver has achieved national and international recognition for his accomplishments in music and public speaking.

He was Young Singer 2010 in the National Rotary Young Musician of the Year Competition from over 2,000 entrants.

In public speaking he entered the International Schools Public Speaking Competition in Massachusetts and won the award for the Best Overseas Speaker and Best Under 16 Speaker.

He is also a keen sportsman playing to a high standard in hockey, tennis and rugby and is a member of the Somerset Youth Orchestra.