Monmouthshire schoolboy, Dante Valaydon-Pillay has been shortlisted for the Fundraiser category in this year's BBC Make a Difference Award. Dante is among four hopefuls drawn from thousands of applicants.

The prestigious award recognises an individual or group of people who have gone the extra mile to raise funds for a good cause.

In September he will attend a lavish awards ceremony in Cirencester where one of the finalists will be crowned.

Dante was inspired to fundraise after his mother was struck down by a series of major strokes when he was just six-years-old. While Dante was cared for by close family and friends, it occurred to him that not all children are as fortunate.

Over the course of his journey, The Chronicle has been closely following his efforts as he tackles 12 different challenges every month for a year for Children in Need.

The Raglan lad started in October 2023 with a 210 ft climb and an abseil down Clifton Gorge, before completed a 5k run in November.

There was no rest for the holidays as he went on to bake over 50 cakes for the elderly residents of a home. His ongoing effort then gained him another award and in that same month, he won the Pride of Gwent Fundraiser of the Year Award 2023.

New Year 2024 kicked off a host of new challenges, starting with sorting, packing and handing out food parcels at a Foodbank.

Expanding his repertoire of skills, in February, he designed, framed, and sold his own art photos; with proceeds going to charity.

March saw his sixth charity challenge and he was honoured to be invited to sing the Welsh National Anthem to 5000 rugby fans during their Rugby Union Championships at Rodney Parade, Newport.

He followed this in April by cycling back and forth over the iconic Severn Bridge from England to Wales, covering 25 miles.

This month he has hiked up 3 South Wales mountains in one weekend, climbing to a combined height of almost 5,500ft.

Through his dedicated fundraising, he has already raised £2674 via his JustGiving page. If you would like to contribute, head to justgiving.com/page/dante321go