Tremendous achievement praised

Jordan has autism so the challenges required to pass the award really pushed him out of his comfort zone.

His perseverance paid off and he was rewarded with a visit to Buckingham Palace for a presentation reception hosted by the Duke of Edinburgh.

Proud mum Lindsey Butterfield said: “It was a fab experience and the gardens at the palace are amazing. Three of the royals were present, the Earl of Wessex, Countess of Wessex and Princess Beatrice. There were lots of celebrities, too, but we did not see them.”

Jordan, from Tarring, completed his award with West Sussex County Council when he was a student at the Special Support Centre at The Littlehampton Academy. He was part of a group of seven, based at Oak Grove College.

He is now studying football coaching at Chichester College.

The award usually takes 12 months to complete and requires work in five different fields, including volunteering, physical achievement, practical skills and a shared activity in a residential setting away from home.

Lindsey added: “It has been quite an achievement for him. It took him 18 months. A lot of people think if you have special educational needs, you can’t do it but you actually can.”