A member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church has been awarded a CableVision Community Service Award for his ?outstanding? work as an educational co-ordinator.

Jermaine Richardson, 27, established a General Educational Development programme in 2003, which now boasts more than 70 students of a variety of ages.

The GED exam is taken by 600,000 people annually and according to its website, one out of every seven American high school diplomas is based on passing it. Mr. Richardson, who does not possess a high school diploma and has enrolled in his own programme, began by recruiting a volunteer teaching team from his church?s congregation in both Hamilton and Southampton and was able to accommodate 50 willing students in the first year alone. A ceremony was held at Hamilton Seventh Day Adventist Church yesterday morning, where Cablevision promised Mr. Richardson a $700 annual donation over the next five years to his organisation.

?CableVision is proud to present this award to Mr. Richardson,? said CableVision operations manager Alan Smith.

?In fact it was an easy decision for the Committee, since Mr. Richardson?s commitment to education is truly inspiring. He had a vision, saw a need and with hard work, dedication and organisation, was able to make it a reality.?

Education Minister Terry Lister also paid tribute to Mr. Richardson and his ?vital? endeavours.

?We are here to recognise an ordinary man who has done something extraordinary,? he said.

?As a Bermudian, I am always pleased when a fellow Bermudian, through his or her actions, strikes a nail in the coffin of pessimism and cynicism about our collective future. Mr. Richardson, with your sense of personal responsibility and the actions you have taken for the benefit of the community, you stand as a role model for all Bermudians.?