Young people had a bad press long before Harry Enfield inflicted Kevin the Teenager on the world. But in the last of our features on nominees for the Feltham Citizen of the Year awards, the Chronicle meets two young citizens who are bucking the trend.
SOUTHVILLE Community Centre keeps 14-year-old James Fallon out of trouble - and in return he helps out there as much as possible.
The big-hearted teenager, of Beattie Close, Feltham, has been an extra pair of hands at the Southville Road centre for several years.
He pitches in during community events at Christmas and Halloween and will decorate, sweep and even cook, as well as running to the shops, litter-picking and removing graffiti.
"James is a bright, charming lad who shows up the few local children who vandalise the centre," said manager Noveen Philips, of Westmacott Drive, who nominated the youngster for the Young Citizen of the Year contest.
"He's absolutely brilliant and very deserving of this award."
James, who has four sisters and a younger brother, also regularly assists his mum, who is a cleaner at the Southville Centre on Saturday mornings.
The Longford School pupil told the Chronicle he was simply grateful of having something to keep him occupied.
"It's quite nice to be nominated and I would like to win it," he said.
"But I enjoy doing things and it keeps me out of trouble. I'm not that sort of person but it's nice to have something to do."
HE MAY love planes but you could never accuse Adam Knight of having his head in the clouds.
The 17-year-old Longford Community School pupil has already risen to become a sergeant in 94 Feltham Squadron Air Cadets.
His sights are now firmly set on joining the RAF, where he hopes to become either a pilot or a regiment officer, who he describes as the 'soldiers of the skies'.
Adam signed up to his school's cadets group when he was 13.
Since then, he has completed a gliding scholarship, learned how to shoot five types of rifle and finished four gruelling 100-mile marches through Holland, among many other achievements.
He recently recruited more than 20 fellow pupils to the cadets, where he teaches members everything from map reading to the history of flight.
"Living so near Heathrow, you get used to planes after a while," he said.
"I never used to be that keen on flying but within a few months of joining the cadets I'd learned how to shoot and had my first flying lesson and absolutely loved it."
When he's not busy with the cadets, Adam can usually be found at the gym, weightlifting or boxing.
As if that were not enough, when the Chronicle phoned him last week he'd just earned his level one coaching badge in canoeing and kayaking.
