Ex Pupil Gives Back – Yet Again!

Balsall Common Primary School Academy has been benefiting from the fundraising efforts of a former pupil, Mikey Akers.

Mikey suffers from a rare condition called verbal dyspraxia which affects his everyday life. The condition makes it difficult to communicate and sufferers often jumble words up and find it difficult to talk leading to shyness and lack of confidence with new people.

It is a relatively unknown condition and so very little research has gone into it, that there are very few resources out there to help deal with it.

Mikey decided to change that and set up a charity called ‘Mikey’s Wish’ to raise funds to help others so that they don’t have to face the same challenges he has.

Whilst at Balsall Common Primary School Mikey was supported by the Special Educational Needs (SEN) department and since leaving he has recognised that help and wants to give back.

Through his perseverance and unwavering dedication Mikey has been able to donate another ￡5,000 to the school bringing the total to over ￡11,000 in just 3 years, making a huge difference to the resources available and making a big impact on SEN support.

Mikey has been recognised for his hard work and recently won a Young Achiever Award at The Brummies’ and Harry’z Young Starz’ Charity Award. In March he won the Stephen Sutton Inspiration Award at the Pride of Birmingham awards and in October he won an Inspirational Young Person award at the Solihull Civic Honours Awards, all very well deserved.

For more information go to www.facebook.com/mikeyswish/

This is not something he has been asked to do and it is all off his own back. As a professional fund raiser I know how difficult it is to raise funds and what Mikey has done is incredible. Then factor in he is only just 18 and it really is amazing what he has achieved.”