Five young children who represent the best examples of friendship have been given awards in the inaugural Thomas & Friends International Friendship Awards organised by Mattel.
Celebrity dad Aston Merrygold presented the quintet with their awards, which, the toy giant said, best highlighted “putting others first, kindness, and going above and beyond to help a friend”.
The five included Noah, aged four years old, from Dudley in the West Midlands, who has supported his best pal Dylan who suffers from leukaemia throughout lockdown and beyond; Imogen, six, from Bridgend, Wales, who looks out for her friend Ethan who has Autusm and is non-verbal; Grace, five, from Peterborough, who has befriended a Ukrainian refugee called Amelia; Millie, eight, from Milton Keynes, who has supported a classmate with Down Syndrome and Corey, eight, from Stourport, Worcestershire, who has raised cash for charity.
“It is very special and such an honour for the Thomas & Friends brand to be able to recognise these outstanding acts of friendship by young children from all around the UK”
Claudia Caron, UK marketing manager, Mattel
Claudia Caron, UK marketing manager, Mattel UK, said: “It is very special and such an honour for the Thomas & Friends brand to be able to recognise these outstanding acts of friendship by young children from all around the UK. The first ever Thomas & Friends™ International Friendship Day Awards have truly shown how incredible and remarkable children are, with hundreds of entries all demonstrating real kindness, putting others first and children going above and beyond for their friends. We’re really proud to share the stories of our five winners to celebrate such great acts of friendship.”
“I feel very privileged to have been able to host the inaugural Thomas & Friends International Friendship Day Awards and to meet and give some of these very special children their trophies”
Aston Merrygold
Aston Merrygold added: “I feel very privileged to have been able to host the inaugural Thomas & Friends International Friendship Day Awards and to meet and give some of these very special children their trophies. Hearing their stories today has made it feel very special, because all these children have done amazing things of their own accord – they’ve literally gone above and beyond for other people, and it’s all been their own doing.”
