Newbury College student 'honoured' to be named charity ambassador

Barnaby Lister takes on role as young ambassador for Variety, the Children's Charity

A NEWBURY College student has recently taken on an ambassadorial role representing a national children’s charity.

GCSE student Barnaby Lister, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy on his first birthday, was appointed a young ambassador for Variety, the Children’s Charity.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that affects movement and coordination, and the charity has provided support for Barnaby through the donation of an expensive light-weight wheelchair to help ease mobility.

Speaking of becoming an ambassador, Barnaby said: “It’s a great honour and I’m really looking forward to representing the organisation at future events.

“I chose to come to Newbury College so that I could further my education with a range of different subjects.

“At college I have more freedom to do what I want to do and that helps me learn better.”

As an ambassador for the charity, Barnaby will help to promote the work of the organisation and was recently featured in a short promotional video about ‘a day in the life’ of Barnaby in which a camera crew visited the college’s Monks Lane campus to film.

The video was shown at the fifth Variety PROPS breakfast in London to raise awareness for the charity. PROPS is a property industry awards event that has raised more than £8m for Variety over the last 20 years.

Inaugurated in 1949, Variety, the Children’s Charity, is one of the UK’s oldest charities founded especially for children and young people.

The video featuring Barnaby can be found on the charity’s website www.variety.org.uk