ALTON artist Tom Yendell has been honoured with the prestigious Rotary International ‘Champions of Change’ award for his outstanding work creating the perfect holiday facilities for disabled guests.

Tom received his award at a national ceremony in Cardiff from Peter Kellner, the distinguished journalist and political analyst, who now chairs the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.

Tom, who was born without arms and hands as a result of his mother being prescribed the drug Thalidomide, knows just how difficult it is to find suitable accommodation with enough space, flat access and the specialist equipment required to make a holiday stay possible.

Disabled travellers often arrive to find inadequate accommodation and so travel then becomes impossible. Tom decided to change all that by developing his Flat Spaces plan.

The idea was to create three-bedroomed holiday bungalows which will allow people with severe disabilities and their families to enjoy holidays where all their needs are catered for. Each home is in a beautiful location and close to care facilities should any problems arise.

With support of Tom’s own club, Four Marks and Medstead Rotary, the Flat Spaces vision is now a reality. The first bungalow is already in constant use at Ropley, and was built with support from Glynis Watts of East Hampshire District Council, specialist equipment suppliers OpeMed and Pressalit and builder Dan Wood.

Tom, who paints using his mouth and feet, is based at his home and studio in Holybourne, Alton. As well as his painting work, Tom is a board member of the International Association of Mouth and Foot Painters. He was a pupil at Treloar’s College in Alton, and is now a patron of the college.

He succeeded in raising £300,000 for his Flat Spaces project, which is now being expanded to provide bungalows in other parts of the country: three in Ireland, two in Wales, three in Scotland and five in England.

Denis Spiller, president of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland, said: “Tom’s idea takes away the barriers and paves the way for all to enjoy a well-earned break away. With Rotary, it just takes an idea and, with the help of our worldwide organisation, that idea can become a reality with support from across the globe.”