Monthly winners of the Recorder’s Young Citizen award have led the way in making new year resolutions to help others including supporting Children In Need and providing sporting opportunities for young people.

Tarun Odedra, 11, of Ramsgill Drive, Newbury Park, who raised hundreds of pounds for charity last year through sponsored walks, plans to raise more money and start cycling.

The June winner of the Exchange Ilford-sponsored award, run in conjunction with the Redbridge Rotary Club, said: “I was inspired by the Olympics but especially the Paralympics, they don’t have the abilities like we do and they can do amazing stuff. “Bradley Wiggins has inspired me to do cycling. He started at my age and he had a hard childhood.”

Tarun, of Gilbert Colvin Primary School, in Strafford Avenue, Clayhall, added: “My new year’s resolution is to do more charity work for Children In Need as my sister did this year.

“It inspired me to follow in her footsteps and take it a step further and raise a lot of money.”

He will start riding at the Redbridge Cycling Centre, Forest Road, Hainault this month.

Our April winner, Sam Kean, 22, of Auckland Road, Ilford, fell from a fifth floor balcony resulting in a long list of injuries including a fractured pelvis, punctured lungs and broken elbows.

He went on to defy doctors’ predictions by running the Belfast Marathon raising money for St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.

His new year’s resolution is to help children become involved in sport and to go to university to study biology.

Sam said: “I would like to make sure kids get better opportunities to take part in sport.

“I went skiing when I was 14 with my school and it’s the reason I’m going to Canada to train to become a ski instructor.”

Kiranjit Dhillon, 19, of Valentines Road, Ilford, wants to carry on her boxing coaching which won her the award in August.

And after training with former world boxing champion Colin McMillan, she would like to meet boxing great Muhammad Ali this year.

Abbie Brill, 16, of Mount Pleasant Road, Chigwell, has a complex regional pain syndrome and won the award in September after setting up a support group to help others suffering the rare condition.

It causes extreme pain to limbs and muscles.

She said: “My new year resolutions are to continue to help others. At school I am part of a buddy system. As part of a leadership course I take at school I mentor a child from the first year that has learning difficulties. I find this really rewarding.”

While he spent most of 2012 helping his classmates achieve their dreams, October winner Omar Carney has one resolution – relaxing.

The 17-year-old, of Arandora Crescent, Chadwell Heath, plans to take up his guitar again and watch his team play football.

As part of a campaign to encourage young people to get into the medical professions, he arranged for three doctors to come to his school, Chadwell Heath Academy, to talk to pupils.

He said: “I think last year my resolution was basically to work hard at my exams and it paid off. “This year it’s more to relax and have a good time, that’s the main thing this year.”

He said anyone considering a new year’s resolution should make a decision and stick to it.