A teenager has been awarded £1,000 to help fulfil his sporting ambition.

Up-and-coming judo star George Cullum is a beneficiary of the Swale Youth Development Fund.

The 17-year-old black belt has won medals at county and national level and is ranked number one in the southern area and number two in Great Britain.

He has practised the sport for 10 years and is a member of the England Talent Development Squad.

The former Westlands pupil, who lives in Eastwood Road, Milton Regis, said: “The money will go towards me competing abroad.

“I’ve got under-20 European Cup competitions in Berlin and Spain next year, so it’ll help with that. I hope it goes some way to helping me reach my dream of winning an Olympic gold medal.”