Kent's Children's Awards, organised by estate agent Wards, holds presentation lunch led by GMB's Charlotte Hawkins

A brother and sister who have raised more than £30,000 in memory of their baby sister who died of a brain tumour, have been presented with a top award for their exceptional fundraising.

Evie and Tommy Ward from Ashford were declared Kent's best young fundraisers at the county's prestigious Children's Awards this week.

The event, organised by estate agent Wards, and supported by the KM Media Group and Kent Community Foundation, aims to recognise brave and courageous children alongside the charities, adults and organisations which support them.

Children's Award judges were told that since their sister Isobelle's death three years ago, the pair have wanted to both keep her memory alive and give something back to those who have supported them, while also helping to stop anyone else going through the heartache and pain their family has endured.

In the first year after their sister passed away, Evie and Tommy raised over £10,000 for Children with Cancer UK by dressing up as superheroes and carrying out all the housework for a month and this was followed in the second year with £12,000 for Brain Tumour Research.

The determined youngsters, judges heard, are now nearing the end of another mammoth effort - raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital by swimming 1000 metres and doing 100 flips in the water - which has collected just over £8,000 to date.

Described as an 'absolute inspiration' and 'true superheroes' Evie and Tommy were announced as the winners in the Award's Young Fundraiser category at a glittering ceremony in Maidstone on Tuesday, which was presented by GMB host Charlotte Hawkins and had a magical fairy tale theme.

There were also awards given this year to two dedicated charities, brave youngsters enduring serious illness and disability and one special courageous family.

Read more about the other winners below...

COURAGEOUS FAMILY, the Lepine family from Maidstone

Life for the Lepine family has been described as often feeling like a 'ticking time bomb'.

Parents Sophie and Jason have three beautiful children but brother and sister Oscar and Sofia have inherited a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome.

It means Oscar has suffered from a number of prolonged seizures from four-months-old and in January 2019 he suffered a severe seizure which led to a cardiac arrest that has left him with a hypoxic brain injury.

Oscar is wheelchair bound, has lost all the key skills he gained in his younger years and has had to spend months in hospital receiving treatment and rehabilitation.

While he has made great steps in the last couple of years, the presentation ceremony was told, Oscar now needs 24/7 care. Together with this, younger sister Sofia has also been found to have inherited the condition, which has led to four prolonged seizures for the tot - with two of those requiring intensive care treatment.

Sofia, who turned one in June, has remained stable for two months and is making great progress. Judges felt the Kent family's determination and courage could not go unrecognised and chose them as winners of the Courageous Family award.

Exceptional Carers: Kye Stewart and Ellie-May & Keeley Barnes from Herne Bay

Eight-year-old Kye from Ashford received the first Exceptional Carer award this year.

Described as an incredibly brave young man, at age six he rang 999 when he found his mum unconscious. Kye, the awards ceremony was told, clearly relayed her full name, address, confirmed she was Type 1 Diabetic and that she was on the floor not breathing. If Kye hadn’t phoned for help, say his family, his mum would not be alive today.

Kye, who has a little brother called Marley who has ADHD, autism and suffers with fits, is a supportive and patient big brother and a willing helper around the house - all which judges felt deserved the highest recognition.

Sisters Ellie-May and Keeley have been young carers for 16 years helping to look after their mum and supporting their dad.

The pair have been described as compassionate, loving, and caring and daughters who 'make their mum laugh every day'.

The sisters have worked through GCSEs and A Levels, supported their mum through recovery from an operation and hospital treatment and help not only her but their dad as well with shopping, washing, cleaning, phone calls and the family finances.

Whilst caring for their parents, Ellie-May and Keeley are also living with their own health problems, judges were told.

Their proud mum told the panel: "Even though they are my daughters, they are also my young carers and I could not ask anymore from my caring, loving, funny and joyful girls.

"They will put themselves out to help not only me but anyone else they see who needs their help. They both deserve recognition for all their love and support to me and our family."

OUTSTANDING CHARITY: Ellie's Angels

Ellie's Angels was formed in loving memory of teen Ellie Paine who was tragically hit by a car and killed while out jogging in Sittingbourne in November 2020.

The Highsted Grammar School pupil, had in previous years struggled with her mental health, but chose to turn her life around after seeking help and support, the ceremony was told.

Ellie's friends and siblings, who now lead the charity in her name, are determined to improve mental health services for their generation with roles as Youth Mental Health Ambassadors who work with the NHS health and school communities to develop ways in which young people can access the help they need in a way familiar to them.

Their aims include wanting to introduce support and awareness into day-to-day life, removing the stigma around mental health and make it a 'normal' topic for young people to discuss.

The team has also created a 'better u' app which provides a platform where teens can access a diverse range of support and organisations, enables them to seek and get help instantly which is helpful while they are waiting on long lists for support and provides other well-being tools to support a positive mindset. To learn more about the vital work of Ellie's Angels click here.

OUTSTANDING CHARITY, Dandelion Time, Maidstone

Charity Dandelion Time, which works with children suffering from trauma, abuse or neglect, has been described as 'nothing short of amazing' by those who nominated it for its outstanding work.

The nomination to judges which led to them being chosen as one of two winners this year read: "Me and my son were victims of domestic abuse and were referred to Dandelion Time, from CAHMS, which was the best decision we ever made. From the moment you walked into the grounds this place is a sanctuary and puts you at complete ease. Meeting our therapist was amazing and she instantly became family.

"The way this organisation deals with childhood trauma through outdoor activities brings a sense of peace and allows children’s confidence to shine through.

"The location is idyllic, the staff are amazing, the therapists are heart-warming and the before, during and after-care makes you feel like a real part of the Dandelion family.

"After 10 weeks at this amazing place, I can honestly say they have saved my child’s life and I brought the happy 8-year-old home once again.

"This place saved my child, saved my family, and restored happiness in our lives and for that I will be eternally grateful."

For more information about the work of Dandelion Time click here.

REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT: Alexander Moss from Deal

Fifteen-year-old Alexander has spina bifida and has used a wheelchair all his life.

But at age 10 he started to get upset and frustrated, recalls his family, that he couldn't do some of the things his friends could which prompted his grandfather to seek out clubs and sports Alexander could try. They found an archery club and Alexander took to it very quickly.

Five years on he now competes against able bodied adults and also trains each month with the coaches at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the home of ParalympicsGB.

Judges said Alexander shows everyone that a disability should not stop you participating and competing in sport and his strength, courage and determination is 'inspiring'.

TRIUMP OVER ADVERSITY ( 0-5): Maisie Smith from Bearsted

Maisie from Maidstone suffers with life limiting disability Lissencephaly – a condition which causes severe brain abnormalities and means she experiences uncontrolled seizures daily as a result of epilepsy symptoms.

Despite this she is, say all those who know her, one of the happiest children you could ever meet and although non-verbal, has her own way of communicating with everyone.

Maisie has undergone two surgeries in 18 months and been in and out of hospital - the last visit for which saw her fitted with a feeding tube. With her infectious laugh and captivating smile judges chose Maisie for an award to recognise her determination and exceptional fighting spirit.

TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY (6- 11): Isla Stanley from Northfleet

Isla Stanley had a difficult start to life - born underweight and with a rare chromosome deletion syndrome.

After a frightening episode aged three, when Isla had to be resuscitated at home by her dad, she received a tracheostomy which has helped her breathe for the last two and a half years.

Sadly, in May 2020 a lump appeared in Isla's tummy and she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as a Wilms tumour.

Since then, and as a result of follow-up scan in February 2022 that showed a node in her lung, Isla has endured endless cycles of chemotherapy, high dose chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant and radiotherapy.

Despite being non-verbal and with development delay Isla is described as happy and cheeky by her family, is adored by her parents and little sister Brooke, and judges felt after eight long months of treatment she was deserving of an award.

TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY (12-16): Teagan Appleby from Canterbury and Liam Newton from Iwade, near Sittingbourne

Finding it so difficult to choose one winner, judges presented two awards in this category.

The first went to 13-year-old Teagan Appleby, whose family hit the headlines in 2018 when it emerged they were paying privately for full extract medical cannabis oil to help with their daughter's seizures.

Teagan, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called Idic(15), also has a very severe case of epilepsy causing 300 seizures a day.

After trials of more than 15 NHS medications, the family for the last four years have fundraised and paid privately for the medication, legalised in 2018, at a cost of up to £2,000 per month.

In the first lockdown, her family ran out of money and oil and Teagan ended up in a coma in intensive care - but was saved by an anonymous donor and within three days she'd recovered enough to return home.

Despite all she has to contend with, judges were told Teagan is the 'happiest' child who always bounces back and the panel wished to recognise her resilience.

Liam Newton from Iwade was the panel's second chosen winner in the oldest Triumph Over Adversity category.

Liam suffers from a genetic condition called HPDL gene defect, which medics struggled to diagnose for years after Liam went from a happy healthy eight-year-old able to run around to eventually becoming wheelchair bound in 2019.

It wasn't until 2020, when Liam developed a stammer did further tests put the family on the path to a diagnosis, which revealed a condition that only 17 people in the world suffer with and just three of them in the UK.

After years with no definitive answer for their son's decline and countless hospital stays, tests and visits, news of the diagnosis also brought with it disappointing confirmation that there is currently no known treatment to help Liam.

Throughout his whole battle, Liam has shown great courage every single day, with his mum telling the judging panel that while the days are tough her son is her 'true inspiration' and her reason to get up in the morning.