AFTER raising nearly £8,000 and sleeping in a tent for 365 days, Alton College student Will Grangehas been presented with a special British Red Cross Humanitarian Citizen Award for Fundraising.

Will (pictured) picked up the award at the House of Commons in November to celebrate extraordinary young people across the UK?aged 25 and under who make a huge difference to other people’s lives.

There are four award categories – fundraising, first aid, community action and volunteering. Will was nominated by his Duke of Edinburgh instructor for his continued fundraising efforts.

He raised £7,000 to re-build the Scout hut in Sheet by sleeping out in a tent in his garden for an entire year. He also raised £300 for premature babies, having been born at 28 weeks himself and needing 100 days of special care, by cycling from Winchester to Eastbourne along the South Downs Way.

Will then raised £650 for Lymphoma and Leukaemia, something that his grandmother was affected by, cycling to Winchester to Eastbourne and back again.

This year, there were 130 nominations from across the UK which were then reduced to a shortlist of 16, all of which were invited to an awards lunch where they got to meet each other and discuss the ways in which they have helped other people. The winners were then presented with their awards.

Will said: “I’m delighted with this accolade and was very surprised to win. I am proud of my fundraising efforts and enjoy doing things to help people.”

He is now planning a possible London to Paris bike ride to raise money to support those affected by the recent Paris attacks.