Trio to make a splash for Georgia Williams

Lois Adams, 15, a student at Abraham Darby School in Madeley was named the 2014 Georgia Williams Diving Scholar at a presentation evening at the Telford Whitehouse Hotel last night.

And in a splashing surprise to the evening, finalists Chloe Forrester, 15 and George Ellison, 11, also won the chance to become PADI scuba divers with Immerse School of Diving in Telford.

The opportunities for the deserving youngsters were made a reality by Immerse owners Tony and Jo Flack, who partnered with the Georgia Williams Trust and the Shropshire Star to find one special young person to continue the 17-year-old's fun-filled legacy.

But they were so overwhelmed with the passion and enthusiasm of the candidates that a trio of divers of the future were unveiled.

HOW TO GIVE TO THE GEORGIA WILLIAMS APPEAL:

It's easy to give:

• By text: Text FERR31 followed by the amount you want to give to 70070 - for example, to give £5, text FERR31£5

• By post: Send a cheque payable to The Georgia Williams Trust to Georgia Appeal, Newsdesk, Shropshire Star, Ketley, Telford TF1 5HU

• From your bank account: Log on to thegeorgiawilliamstrust.org for details

Mr Flack said: "We set a very high bar for the scholarship with the aim of finding one truly exceptional young person who would live up to the visions and values of the Georgia Williams Trust.

"To say we were blown away by the standard of applications received is an understatement.

"To find not one but three amazing and passionate young people, who will all now have a chance to become scuba divers, was more than anyone involved in the scholarship had ever hoped.

"It stands as testament to the young people we have in Telford & Wrekin.

"And especially for the selected scholar, Lois Adams, this represents a life-changing opportunity and the start of a wonderful lifelong underwater adventure. "

Lois emerged victorious from the application process where she showed genuine enthusiasm for learning to dive and to discover more about the underwater natural world.

It is a passion that was shared by Georgia, from Wellington, who highlighted scuba diving on a list entitled "Things To Do Before I Die".

The adventurous teenager never got to fulfil this dream and Immerse stepped forward to make the dream come true for another special young person.

Lois shone through lightning round interviews with chairman of the trust, Richard Langton, Georgia's father Steve Williams and Jo Flack.

And her enthusiasm during a try dive with instructor Peter Vickers made her stand out from the crowd.

As the lucky scholar, Lois will learn to become a fully qualified scuba diver and will train to attain PADI Master Scuba Diver rating - the highest non-professional scuba diving qualification.

She will also get the chance to pursue her keen interest in biology and meet some of the leading names in the scuba diving industry.

Lois will also fulfil an advocacy role for the Georgia Williams Trust to inspire other young people to take on its motto "Free Your Spirit, Join In."

Chloe Forrester, a student at Wrockwardine Wood School, displayed her spirit of adventure which is encompassed in the hobby, but also demonstrated a desire to pursue her love of history by visiting underwater heritage.

George Ellison of Thomas Telford School wowed the judging panel with maturity beyond his years, his love of the water and his interest in pursuing a career as a marine biologist.

Both runners up will undertake their PADI open water course alongside the scholar and upon completion will be able to continue to scuba dive, just as they had hoped when they applied for the scholarship.

The annual scholarship is jointly funded by The Georgia Williams Trust and Immerse School of Diving. The Georgia Williams Diving Scholarship is also supported by Monty Halls, the BBC television presenter, who has a particular record of making adventure and natural history series.

Diving scholarship just one of the life-changing opportunities:

The Georgia Williams Diving Scholarship is just one of the life-changing opportunities for young people created by the trust.

Scuba diving featured high on a list entitled "Things To Do Before I Die" written by the 17-year-old from Wellington, Telford.

"Georgia never got to fulfil some of these ambitions, but those touched by the story of the fun-loving former head girl have stepped forward to tick experiences off her list while raising money for the Georgia Williams Trust.

The trust has been set up to create a fund in which 11 to 18-year-olds can be given help realising their dreams.

The money is being issued to help youngsters take part in opportunities that are educational, community-enriching or inspirational.

The Shropshire Star launched the search for the diving scholar along with the number to donate by text. The charity has already raised £65,000 in its first year and young people are reaping the benefits.

One 11-year-old from Telford, who has cerebral palsy, received £250 towards a lightweight wheelchair with a bolt on bike to enable her to take part in school sports.

Meanwhile, three New College students received a grant from the trust to support the cost of a college trip to Morocco in March.

Travel and tourism students Molly Harvey, Mary Cox and Libby McKendrick worked in the village of Imlil where they helped to repair irrigation channels damaged by flooding.

They also helped children in a primary school and spent a day visiting the ancient imperial city of Marrakech.

• Read more about the Georgia Williams Appeal here