We’re delighted to share that Florence Wyatt has been shortlisted in the Young Hero category of the BBC Radio Leeds Make a Difference Awards 2026! 

The Young Hero Award celebrates remarkable young people aged 16 and under who make a positive difference to the lives of others through their courage, kindness and determination.

Florence (pictured above on the right with friends at the SNAPS Superhero Challenge) and her family have been part of the SNAPS community since she was just three years old. Florence had suffered from a very rare paediatric stroke and lost movement on the left side of her body. She had to relearn how to walk, talk and carry out many everyday tasks that most children take for granted.

Five years after her stroke, Florence wanted to celebrate how far she had come in a meaningful way.

At the SNAPS Superhero Challenge 2025, seven-year-old Florence set herself an ambitious goal: running five laps of a 400m athletics track, one lap for every year since her stroke. While most children take on one or two laps, Florence wanted to push herself further.

She didn’t do it alone. Friends and family joined her on the track as “Team Florence”, running alongside her and helping her complete the full 2km challenge together. Despite health setbacks in the lead-up to the event, Florence tackled the challenge with determination, positivity and a huge smile.

 Florence raised an incredible £1,656 through the challenge, helping more children with additional needs access support through SNAPS. Over the years, Florence and her family have raised thousands of pounds for the charity through a variety of fundraising efforts.

What makes Florence’s story so inspiring is that she turned a personal milestone into an opportunity to help others. By sharing her journey and raising funds for children and families facing their own challenges, she has inspired countless people while showing that age is no barrier to making a difference.

As part of the awards process, Florence and her dad, Tim, recently joined BBC Radio Leeds to talk about Florence’s journey, her fundraising and what SNAPS has meant to their family. You can listen to below: 

The BBC Radio Leeds Make a Difference Awards take place in Leeds next month, where winners from across the region will be recognised for the positive difference they make in their communities.

We’re incredibly proud of Florence and everything she has achieved, and we’ll be cheering her on when the awards take place.

Good luck, Florence!