Taunton student given Rotary Young Citizen Award 2024

A student from Taunton School has been honoured with the Rotary Club’s Young Citizen Award. Anthony Knight was chosen to receive the award for his outstanding contribution to helping people affected by war across the world, raising more than £13,500 for the DEC Ukraine Appeal and UNICEF, with fundraising still ongoing.

Year 13 student Anthony has spent the last two years performing violin solos in churches and hotels across the UK and Europe to raise money for his two chosen charities.

Anthony said of the award: "It is such an incredible honour to receive a Rotary Young Citizen Award, I am thrilled. I hope my story will inspire other young people to use their talents to make the world a better place."

The Rotary Club launched its Young Citizen Awards in 2007 to celebrate achievements by people under 25 and the citizenship and responsibility they have shown in doing so, with the aim of breaking the negative stereotypes often given to young people.

Anthony has recently accepted a place to study violin at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London following the completion of his A-Levels at Taunton School.

Prior to this, Anthony was named the Taunton Young Musician of the Year in 2022 and has also received a prestigious county award from the High Sheriff of Somerset. In light of his fantastic charity contributions, Anthony was chosen to attend the 2023 Westminster Abbey Carol Service organised by the Princess of Wales, who he had the pleasure of meeting after the service, and has recently performed the Dvořák Romance in F Minor with a professional orchestra at Taunton School.

Taunton School regularly offers scholarships and assisted places to students with a particular talent and interest in music at Year 7, Year 9, and Year 12 (Sixth Form). Find out more by visiting https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/scholarships/.