Stephen Fourie

A STUDENT who led a crusade against bullying at his school has been named Young Citizen of the Year by his local Rotary Clubs.

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Sixth form pupil Stephen Fourie was awarded the honour for his work in chairing the so-called Anti-Bullying Squad at Sudbury Upper School.

The group of 19 pupils campaigned to raise awareness about cyber-bullying and provided a support network,so pupils could talk about bullying in confidence.

“We focused on cyber-bullying because it is a growing problem,” said Stephen, aged 18, who is studying government and politics, and environmental studies.

“It may be something like people e-mailing round a picture of someone and laughing at them behind their back. This can cause a lot of distress to someone and people may not even realise they are causing them harm.

“We also provided a service where pupils could come to us and talk to us about any bullying they had experienced, and then we could pass this information on to teachers and keep track of the situation to make sure it is dealt with.”

Sixth form tutor Kathryn Townend nominated Stephen, describing him as “an exceptionally kind, considerate individual, who thinks nothing of giving much of his time to help others within our school community.

She added: “What makes Stephen all the more outstanding is that throughout his childhood, he endured years of being bullied. He refused to allow this to affect his personality and his aspirations for the future. He continued to strive for his goals and to support others in a dignified, determined manner.”

Stephen, who received a cash award of £100, also collected the team trophy on behalf of his colleagues in the Anti-Bullying Squad at a ceremony held at Sudbury’s Quay Theatre last week.

The money and awards are jointly supplied by Sudbury Talbot and Sudbury Rotary Clubs, who handed out a number of awards to young people at the event – now in its fourth year.

Commenting on the annual awards, Andrew Lord Phillips of Sudbury, who is president and founder of the Citizenship Foundation, said: “At this difficult time, it is ever more vital that we pull together as a community by caring for each other.

“The Young Citizen Awards do that brilliantly. The winners are a beacon to us all, and proof that no young citizen should feel that he or she has nothing to contribute.”

Deputy Town Mayor, Cllr. Jack Owen also paid tribute to the young people nominated for this year’s awards.

He said: “They have all achieved so much and are an example to us all.”