Ben Hall was born with a complex heart condition, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which has meant that he faces the day-to-day challenge of having only half a working heart. Still more tragically, his brother died just over a year ago in an accident.

Yet, despite all the sorrow and setbacks, Ben keeps a positive outlook and is not only a comfort to his bereaved family, but a positive role model to children at the school he attends (and his brother attended) and others with heart disease.

Ben was nominated for the Diana Award by the charity Little Hearts Matter, and the recognition has given his confidence a massive boost. As he says: “It’s good to be recognised for caring and supporting; most awards are for achievements like sport which I would find difficult to get.”