HE may be a whiz at spinning records, but an inspirational Peterborough teenager is also helping to turn around troubled youngsters' lives.
And now, his community work has been recognised with a nomination in the awards dubbed the Oscars of the voluntary sector.
Matthew Hollis single-handedly set up an arts project using DJ-ing as a way of connecting with young people and reducing anti-social behaviour.
The Walton youngster then got a team of two helpers on board and linked up with Cross Keys Homes, holding music sessions for young people in deprived areas – and was in line for a Young Achievers Award.
The self-taught youngster has been into DJ-ing since he was 13.
Fed up with the lack of affordable activities for young people to do in Peterborough, he decided he would teach kids what he had learnt.
After getting just under £1,000 of funding from city-based charity Young Lives, he held workshops in Arthur Mellows Village College and his own school Stanground College.
Cross Keys Homes heard about what he was doing and joined forces with the teenager, holding music sessions in its anti-social-behaviour hotspots.
Matthew said: "I work with two others now. With a bigger group we can reach out to more youngsters."
Read the full story: Award recognition puts DJ Matthew in a spinThe full article contains 231 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.
