THERE can't be many teenagers who have horse races named after them - but 17-year-old Daniel Lewis has just that.
Chepstow Racecourse was so impressed by Daniel's one-man litter clean-up operation that it's named one of the races on Easter Monday after him.
In January 2021 Daniel started to clear away rubbish dumped on roads just above his hometown of Merthyr Tydfil by working on his own on a hillside road.
He set up a GoFundMe page and quickly won the backing of local businesses, which enabled Daniel to hire industrial skips to help with his clear-up.
Daniel Lewis hard at work clearing away litter in Merthyr. Picture: Dai Sport
“I managed to get rid of 40 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish,” said Daniel.
“We’ve since stepped things up and I’m now working alongside Merthyr Council and South Wales Police to set up CCTV cameras.
“What’s happening with illegal fly-tipping was terrible and I just wanted to do something practical, so I started removing it, people saw what I was doing, and it grew from there.
“I just think it’s really important that we keep our local environment clean.”
Daniel Lewis receiving his St. David's Day Award. Picture: Dai Sport
The Easter Monday meeting on April 10 will feature a race carrying his name - the First Cafes Daniel Lewis Litter Champion.
The 17-year-old has made a serious impression on others when he was invited this year to a Downing Street reception after picking up the Points of Light Award bestowed by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The teenager is employed by Merthyr Council on a horticultural apprenticeship –a deal with Step Up Skip Hire, whereby they drop off and collect community skips free of charge.
Some of the illegal fly-tipping cleared away by Daniel Lewis. Picture: Dai Sport
Chepstow Racecourse executive director Phil Bell says: “Daniel’s efforts on behalf of his local community is absolutely inspirational.
“He’s a very determined young man with a mission to succeed and we wanted to acknowledge his work and make people more aware of it.
“Hopefully, he will have a great day at Chepstow for what should be a wonderful day’s racing on Easter Monday, April 10.”
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