Five years ago Peter Forrest’s future looked uncertain, battling as he was against bullying, dyslexia and his own anger management problems.

But last week the former Otley schoolboy’s “inspirational” determination to turn his life around, helped by Shipley-based organis-ation Dream Achievers, saw him named as the winner of a Young Achievers (Environment) Award.

It was made in recognition of Peter’s outstanding contribution to the local community, which includes him now skippering one of Dream Achievers’ canal boats once a week when he works with a homeless group on environmental and conservation tasks.

Since his tougher days as a teenager, when he was close to being expelled from school, Peter, 20, has also overcome difficulties he had with speaking in public to address several conferences, including one on truancy in Naples where he received a standing ovation from 150 delegates.

Reacting with surprise and delight at winning the award, which comes with a £1,000 prize, he said: “This will give us another big boost and it’s another incentive to get everything organised really, and look at what we could be doing.

“We’ve got a few good ideas – to have a real look at renewing the boat we have and turning it into a better youth environment, and for settting up my own little youth organisation to work with Dream Achievers, like a youth advisory group.”

Describing his recent work, he said: “Dream Achievers have an association with the Wildlife Trust and I’ve been working with them going out on the boats doing wildlife work and clean-up work on the canal.

“And I did a training weekend where I took a group of youngsters and some people from the older generation out from Friday to Sunday, we hired a boat and we tried to get everyone up to boat handling speed so they could enjoy the boat in a safe way.”

Peter was 15 and having problems at school when he was first offered the chance of volunteering with Dream Achievers (part of the Bradford Motor Education Trust charity) for one day a week – provided he completed his schooling.

He did so, gaining four GCSEs, and after leaving school continued working for the group, taking on more responsibilities and becoming, at 17, the youngest person in the organisation to gain a National Qualification in Boat Management.

As his confidence grew he volunteered to spend 18 months working on an environmental project in Finland, and since returning to Dream Achievers he has gone on to captain a boat at a three-day canal festival, lead work with a homeless group once a week and support the group’s core work.

He is now also preparing a business plan for taking a group of younger volunteers on a week’s residential training and research course, and working hard to secure the external funding needed for the project.

His public speaking work, meanwhile, has seen him speak at a multi-agency event on behalf of a pupil whom he had mentored, and who (like Peter’s younger self) was facing the prospect of expulsion from school.

His volunteer manager, Trevor Roberts, hailed Peter’s “oustanding” achievements and said he provided a great example for the young people he now works with.

He said: “Peter has matured into a confident, responsible and caring individual.

“He displays natural leadership skills and is popular with older and younger volunteers, trainees and staff”

Peter saw off tough competition from over 100 other young people from across the country to win the award.