Bethany Aldridge, Eva-Joan Leavis, Katie Hoult, Rowan McCarthy, Chloe Shore, Ryan Elston, Laura Till and Harriet Walne have each received Inspire Awards from local charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) to help them reach their goals in sport, creative arts, music, community, and business.

Inspire Awards are small grants of up to £500 from the JHMT. The awards were set up to help young people aged 13-21 from Leicester and Leicestershire to fulfil their ambitions in the fields of music, arts, sports, entrepreneurism and community endeavour. Since the awards' inception in 2014, £45,500 has been awarded to help 244 x young people to do some amazing things.

The JHMT was set up in memory of Leicester teenager Joe Humphries, who collapsed and died in October 2012 while out jogging near his family home in Rothley, Leicestershire. Joe was a victim of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) – a group of lethal heart diseases which can cause sudden cardiac death in young people. The JHMT provides free CPR training, helps to fund community defibrillators and campaigns for better understanding of SADS, as well as running the Inspire Awards small grants scheme.

Beth Aldridge, aged 21, from Kegworth, has recently gained a place in the Great Britain Premier Dragon Boat Squad to race at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Pattaya, Thailand this summer. The squad is represented from paddlers across the country from Durham all the way to London.

Beth said " I cannot wait to continue my GB journey and I am so grateful to Joe Humphries Memorial Trust for my Inspire Award grant £300. It will make a massive difference towards both training and competition costs including kit, accommodation, and travel. I will be representing my club (Soaring Dragons), my family and my friends and hopefully making them very proud."

Eva-Joan Leavis, aged 13, from Coalville, is a talented multidisciplinary cyclist who rides for Leicester Forest Rockets Cycling Club and has done since she was 5 years old. She is now aiming to compete in national races and youth events during 2023 to progress her riding further.

Eva has been riding at Derby Velodrome and despite being amongst the youngest in her races, she has managed to have podium places in both styles of riding. The award of an Inspire grant for £400 will enable her to compete at national level events with appropriate equipment and accommodation.

Katie Hoult, aged 13, from Coalville, is one of Leicestershire's up and coming young badminton prospects. Her dedication and hard work as already resulted in an invitation to join the Performance Centre's Gold Programme. The award of an Inspire grant for £250 will mean that the opportunities that have been presented to Katie this season with her training will continue and help towards achieving her aim of being the best that she can be. Most recently, she was selected for the U15 England Badminton Team who took part in the Eight Nations Badminton Tournament held in Germany during February 2023.

Rowan McCarthy, aged 17, from Barlestone, is in the second year of a BTEC course studying Performing Arts and Contemporary Circus at Circomedia in Bristol. He also hopes to run more local classes after he finishes his studies having previously set up summer circus classes in Desford for children to learn the basics of circus skills and to increase their self-esteem through new physical and mentally challenging activities.

Rowan said: " I am so grateful to receive an Inspire award grant for £350 as it means I can continue with my studies and complete my qualification in Performing Arts and Contemporary Circus."

Other young people to benefit from an Inspire grant for the 2^nd and 3^RD time round included Chloe Shore, Ryan Elston, Laura Till and Harriet Walne.

Simon Taylor, JHMT Inspire lead, said: "Once again, JHMT, through the Inspire awards small scheme, are delighted to help more inspirational young people from the city and county achieve their goals. The levels of dedication and hard work put in by everyone is staggering and we are so pleased that as part of Joe's legacy the grants are making such a difference and are gratefully received."

To find out more about the JHMT and the Inspire Awards, visit www.jhmt.org.uk/inspire