A teenage girl who cared for her dying father and now looks after her sick mother has been named as the overall Canterbury Try Angle Award winner for 2008.

Sunny Vallance, who is 16 on Wednesday, took the top honour at the presentation evening at Canterbury Christ Church University.

She was among dozens of young people who received awards for their courage, determination and kindness to others.

The audience heard how Canterbury High School pupil Sunny had cared for her dying father, who she lost in May, and now looks after her mother, Donna Richards, who suffers with Chrohn’s disease and sciliosis.

The pair live in Redwood Close, Canterbury, with Sunny’s little brother, Alfie, eight, and sister, Molly, 10, who she also helps look after.

Mrs Richards said: “Sunny is a diamond who helped her father, Drew Vallance, so much when he was ill.

“Sunny was visiting him daily to do as much as she could for him.”

Sunny, who is soon to join Canterbury College to study child care and wants to be a social worker, won the good friends, young carers category of the awards before being chosen overall winner.

She said: “It was all a bit overwhelming on the night and I didn’t expect to win because there were so many deserving young people there.

“But I know my dad would have been looking down on me and be proud.”

For full story and pictures of all the other Try Angle winners, see this week’s Kentish Gazette, out on Thursday.