A student from Tenby has won Camp America’s ‘Participant of the Year’ award for 2018.

Twenty-year-old Bethany Angharad Blackford Jones, from Trafalgar Road spent this year at Camp America - the cultural exchange programme, to work as a counsellor, after spending last year in Zimbabwe on a gap year from University, teaching sexual health for six weeks.

Beth (known as Peach in Camp) was nominated as ‘participant of the year’ by her peers. Over 8,000 young adults take part every year, and after she was shortlisted in the top three, she then won the public vote. On congratulating her on the award the organisers said: “Winning this award shows how much heart she pours into her work and the experience - both for herself and for our campers. We are so incredibly proud of her.”

Beth’s mother Kelley said that award was extra special as it had come after a difficult few years.

“Beth went to Austria skiing in 2012 skiing and on the second day she was taken poorly and rushed to hospital in Salzburg. I flew over the next day. She was in intensive care for nine days and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Kawasaki. We flew home four days later. Since then she has suffered with CFS and various things connected to her damaged immune system,” she explained.

“She is studying clinical psychology in the university of Liverpool. This year a week before her exams one of her best friends in uni committed suicide. Beth was heartbroken and we didn’t think she would be able to do her exams. After the exams finished (which she passed) she had the funeral and the next day flew out to Ohio for the summer again.

“I think going to Camp was her saviour and being with the children brought the life back into her eyes. Everyone loved her and being a keen singer she would love entertaining the kids there.

“Beth was nominated for the award by her peers, and then won the public vote overwhelmingly. The comments she had on the official Facebook page were amazing! When she is back in Tenby she also works with young adults with various problems.

“We are very proud of her!” she added.