Tia Hutchinson, who has been fundraising for good causes for a decade, has been crowned the Yarmouth Mercury's young person of the year.


The 16-year-old scored the most votes in our poll, beating Amelia Balls nominated for making cakes to raise cancer charity funds and Mabel Shields for running her own Race for Life aged five - with just 20 votes between first and second place.

After being handed her trophy Tia said said it was a team effort from the whole Hutchinson family.

She said: "Thank you to those that nominated me and voted for me as young person of the year.

"It is nice that people still appreciate what I have done and still do with Tia's Treasures.

"I might have started it on my own as a hobby to raise a few pounds for charity but over ten years on thousands of pounds raised for lots of different charities and lots of random acts of kindness Tia's Treasures is a team as my mum, dad and brothers are as much involved as I am."

Tia of University Crescent, Gorleston, began making bracelets and keyrings to raise money for charity through Tia's Treasures when she was just six years old.

Now the whole family are on board spreading random acts of kindness by handing gifts out around the town.

Those who nominated her cited her kindness "putting smiles on faces when the last two years have been tough."

Another hailed her for "working hard for GCSEs that didn't happen" while continuing to fundraise and spreading joy with her random acts of kindness.

She started her own accessory-making enterprise Tia's Treasures for her best friend Demi, who lost her sight from Retinoblastoma, a tumor behind the eyes.

She went on to make and sell a range of jewellery and trinkets donating all proceed to charities like CLIC Sargent Charity and the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust as well as local good causes.

She has been described as an inspiration to other children to make a difference.

Over the years she has raised many thousands of pounds and received many certificates from organisations grateful to her for her support.