A 20-YEAR-OLD woman who became the youngest-ever winner of the Southend Citizens Award was not your typical teenager.

Sophie Alderton, from Rayleigh Road, Eastwood, Leigh, started volunteering for charity organisations WHEN she was 15 years old - the age where a lot of teenagers would typically spend their time hanging out with friends.

She started volunteering for Phab, a charity which supports young people and adults living with a disability.

She said: “I started caring for my sister, Claire, who is four years older than me, when I was little. So at a young age I had quite an older head on me.

“I’ve been brought up with a special needs sister, so I have had a big background with disabilities and the care side of things.”

Ms Alderton was bullied at school for having a sister living with a disability. The experience had a huge impact on her, but at the same time it gave her the strength she needed to dedicate her time to help the disabled.

She added: “I was bullied at school. It started when I was in Year 8. Kids at school, both younger and older than me, made fun of my sister and I.

“Some of them said they wanted to punch and hurt Claire just because she has special needs. It all started out on social media.

“One of the students who went to the same dance club as my sister, found out about Claire’s condition and the word spread on social media. They also made fun of my appearance. The bullying went on for two years and I had to move schools because it really impacted on my studies.”

Ms Alderton has put all the bad experiences behind her as she continues to devote her time to managing and directing Pholk, a charity that encourages young adults with and without disabilities to come together to take part in community activities together and to build up friendships.

She started volunteering for Pholk when she was 18, but when the club was unable to be maintained any longer she bravely took it all on.

Under her management, Ms Alderton is working with a group of volunteers to register the organisation to become a charity, hopefully by next year.

She said: “The volunteers have always worked so hard as a team to make Pholk enjoyable for everyone. We’ve organised lots of charity events, including quiz nights, a Chinese charity night serving a variety of dishes, and we’re planning to run a golf event. Recently we did a walkathon and we raised £3,500.

“I also want to thank my family and friends for their support.”

Ms Alderton has advice to give to young people who aspire to make a difference in their community.

She said: “Doing volunteer work is very rewarding. What you do may be small but it could make such a big difference in someone else’s life. When we’re young we do have a lot of time, which is why we should make the most out of it.”