Schoolboy scoops national award for gardening

A schoolboy gardener with a difference has scooped a national award from the charity Thrive.

Elliot Rogers, 12, has been blind since a life-saving operation to enlarge his skull took his sight seven years ago, reports the Times.

But the Impington Village College youngster hasnt let his impairment hold him back from becoming a star figure in creating his schools garden.

He has now been awarded the title of Young Blind Gardener of the Year and is considering a career in horticulture, according to his mother.

"Its given him status among his siblings and its given him self-assurance," she told the newspaper.

"He can say: Im not a poor person with a disability; Ive got something to offer.

"Hes got a real talent for gardening and its made him think about what he wants to be."

Young Elliot already sells tubs of flowers that he grows in the schools greenhouse and garden, and looks set to enjoy gardening for a long time to come.

Thrive is a charity which aims to assist disabled or ill people achieve a better quality of life by introducing them to horticulture.