Aidan Jackson has won the Outstanding Contribution Award at the Halton and St Helens VCA Volunteer Awards 2026, recognising an extraordinary volunteering journey that has helped make communities safer.
Aidan's remarkable story began at just 12 years old, when an ambitious challenge to fill Halton Stadium with teddy bears demonstrated the determination and creativity that would become a defining feature of their volunteering.
The challenge resulted in an incredible 13,000 teddy bears filling the stadium. It also helped inspire a lasting commitment to helping others and, ultimately, saving lives.
At the age of 15, Aidan raised enough money to fund their first community defibrillator. Rather than stopping there, they continued fundraising and identifying locations where life-saving equipment was needed most.
Their efforts have since resulted in 49 permanent defibrillators being installed across Widnes, Runcorn, St Helens and Burtonwood, alongside five portable units provided to local clubs and organisations.
The equipment provides communities with access to potentially life-saving support in an emergency, demonstrating the lasting impact one person's determination can have on thousands of people.
Aidan's work has been driven not by a desire for recognition, but by a commitment to helping people they may never meet. Each defibrillator represents a practical legacy that could make a critical difference when every second counts.
The award was presented by Sally Yeoman MBE, Chief Executive of Halton and St Helens VCA, and Claire Redford-Kerr during the ceremony at The Heath in Runcorn.
The Outstanding Contribution Award celebrates volunteers whose dedication goes above and beyond, and Aidan's achievements demonstrate how an individual initiative can grow into something with a lasting benefit for communities across the region.
Halton and St Helens VCA congratulates Aidan on this exceptional achievement and thanks them for their continued commitment to community safety and wellbeing.