A ceremony has been led by Lemn Sissay, poet and OBE - to celebrate the achievements of young people across Somerset.

The event was organised by young people from a local care group with support from Somerset Council.

Mr Sissay spent his childhood I the care system. Speaking at the event he said:

“Children who don’t live with their parents are at the heart of many of our greatest stories.

"So many of our stories feature children running away from home, but what we often don’t realise is that children run away because they want to be found. I ran away because I wanted to be found.”

The annual event highlighted the achievements of 377 young people from across Somerset.

Tessa Munt, Executive Member for Children and Families at Somerset Council said: “It was an incredibly moving event, and was a powerful reminder of the unique value of our amazing children and young people.

"They are Somerset’s children – and it is a privilege to love and care for them. Love is the key word here – it is what all children need most, and we should all treat every child like our own. It does take a whole village to raise a child.”