A YOUNGSTER from Bogtown has received a prestigious national award after raising more than 25 times his target for Cancer Research UK with a sponsored walk after losing his nana and auntie to cancer.

Charlie Dufty, nine, won the category of ‘young volunteer of the year’ at Cancer Research UK’s Flame of Hope awards.

He was presented with his award at a ceremony at the Marchant Taylors’ Hall in London last month.

Mum Gemma, who accompanied him, said she was ‘very proud’ of Charlie, who raised more than £5,500 for the charity with his sponsored walk of 4.4 miles from his home to his late nana Dawn Medland’s house in Bratton Clovelly.

He came up with the idea himself after being devastated by the deaths of Dawn, who was librarian at Okehampton Primary School, and auntie Sheila Kelly, from lung cancer in the autumn of 2017.

Charlie’s younger brother Harry, seven, accompanied Charlie on the walk in February last year and was at the ceremony to see Charlie presented with the award. Harry was presented with a badge himself to mark his part in Charlie’s fundraising efforts.

Gemma said: ‘Charlie set out to raise £200 and ended up raising more than £5,000. We had a lot of fundraising in the local pubs and the pub in Bratton Clovelly held an afternoon tea after he had finished his walk.

‘He had donations from Devon, London and New Zealand where some of our family live. Harry walked with him too.

‘Charlie didn’t do the walk for the glory, he’s actually very humble and quite embarrassed that he’s won the award but he realises that the publicity will help other people with cancer and other fundraisers.

‘We had to go to a lunch and we met the chairman of Cancer Research UK and talked to the man who introduced him, who is one of the professors at the charity.’

Charlie’s dad Simon said he was ‘pleased as punch’ that Charlie had won the award.

Charlie was nominated by Cancer Research UK central fundraising executive Ryan Goode, who said: ‘Charlie was able to raise awareness of the charity throughout all his family and community and turn a sad situation into a positive by being a strong and inspiring young child.’

The Flame of Hope awards are made annually by Cancer Research UK to acknowledge the remarkable efforts in fundraising and volunteering made by people from all walks of life.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: ‘The Flame of Hope awards give us the opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to our enormously generous volunteers and supporters for the fantastic work that they do.

‘Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives but that’s only possible thanks to the commitment of our supporters and volunteers, without whom it would not be possible to fund outstanding scientists, doctors and nurses.

‘These awards are our way of honouring incredible people like Charlie who give their time freely to raise money for research and promote greater awareness of the disease, and yet ask for nothing in return.

 ‘It’s thanks to the support of the fundraising public and our amazing army of volunteers that we can continue to make a real difference and bring forward the day when all cancers are cured,’ added the charity’s chief executive.