He will be guest of honour at this year’s Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year Awards, which will highlight the great work and dedication of young people aged between 13 and 25.
There are only a couple of weeks left to nominate and Willard said it was important that those who deserved credit are put forward.
Organised by Rotary Clubs from across Wolverhampton, and supported by the Express & Star, the awards culminate in an emotional awards night which will be held at the University of Wolverhampton.
Nominations can be made by family members, friends, teachers, youth leaders and other professionals, employers or anyone who has recognised the achievements of the young person in question.
The young person will have gone the extra mile to help others, their community, fellow students, work colleagues or someone in need. It may be through their charity work, voluntary contributions or simply through their dedication and talent at school or work.
Willard, 67, grew up in Wolverhampton and overcame challenges with his autism and dyslexia to hone his incredible skill to create artwork that is so small it can fit into the eye of a needle.
His work has been shown around the world and he even met Queen Elizabeth to present her with a microscopic crown sculpture. He has also recreated a tiny version of the Wolves emblem.
He said: “It is a real privilege to be invited to get involved in these awards. If I can inspire kids by showing them how I have succeeded then it will be everything I have wanted to achieve.
“We have a habit of under-estimating what can be done, but there is a lot of talent out there and there are some really inspirational young people in Wolverhampton who deserve to be recognised.”
IT IS EASY TO NOMINATE. Simply visit wolverhamptonyoungcitizen.org.uk and follow the instructions.
The awards will be made to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 and between 19 and 25 who live, study or work within the Wolverhampton boundary.
Nominees will be reduced down to a list of 10 finalists who will be invited to the awards ceremony.
Last year’s event was attended by 140 people, including the finalists, their guests and representatives of the Rotary Clubs and the main sponsor, Collins Aerospace, as well as many other sponsors.
Last year, the 13 to 18 award saw joint winners, with Sienna Ahir and Sachi Bhambra taking home awards for their continued contributions to the Wolverhampton and the wider community. Sienna, a Heath Park pupil, is the Youth MP for Wolverhampton and represents the concerns of people in the city at a local, regional and national level.
Jude Ashton was announced as last year’s winner for the 19 to 25 award, taking home the prize for the charity work he continues to carry out and the fantastic attitude that he shows, overcoming the challenges of cerebral palsy to carry out good works.
Former Wolves star and Wolverhampton Rotarian Mel Eves is chairing the organising committee for the event and visited the football club’s training ground to help its launch, where he and past winners met a number of the players.
He said: “The Young Citizen of the Year awards have gone from strength to strength over the years.
“Last year, we selected 10 young people as finalists and invited them with their guests to an awards ceremony, with many others receiving a certificate of commendation for their efforts. This year, we look forward to seeing plenty more fantastic nominations and we are really delighted to have Willard on board.”
Wolves have also backed the event. This year’s awards ambassador, Wolves Captain Nelson Semedo, said: “Young people who use their initiative and show kindness to others deserve to be recognised, so I am very pleased to support the awards.”
This year’s awards are backed by Collins Aerospace, the Wolves Foundation, the Express & Star, Wolverhampton City Council, Carvers Building Supplies, the James Beattie Charitable Trust, WCR and West Midlands Magazines.
For more information on criteria and how to nominate, visit wolverhamptonyoungcitizen.org.uk.