West Coventry Academy hero: A caring West Coventry Academy student has been honoured with an Outstanding Young Citizen Award by the West Midlands Police.
Quick-thinking Michael Digby, 16, who is in Year 11 at the school, was presented with the prestigious award last month after bravely stepping in to help two local people in vulnerable situations.
Staff at the Tile Hill school nominated Michael for the award after he helped prevent a suicidal young woman from taking her own life, and took care of a lost Alzheimer’s patient in the Coventry city centre.
Michael said: “My parents and friends were really proud and supportive. The award is now framed in our living room!”
The first incident happened in May 2025, when Michael was walking home with a friend and saw a distressed woman trying to climb to the edge of a railway bridge.
He took the initiative to immediately call the emergency services, and even blocked nearby traffic to keep bystanders safe.
He said: “I went up the bridge while on the phone to police, and it was clear the woman wasn’t in the best mindset. She was sadly trying to push people out of the way so she could take her own life, but my friend and I prevented her from jumping off the bridge.”
Michael kept the situation under control until the police arrived to take over, thankfully saving the young woman’s life.
He said: “It was difficult – we had to hold her against a fence until the police came to help her. The officers managed to calm her down and get the situation under control. As soon as I got down the bridge, I ran straight to my parents and started crying.
“After the woman had been taken into an ambulance and received medical help, my friend and I went to check on her to make sure she was okay, and she thanked us both repeatedly.”
According to Michael, he felt compelled to put himself in potential danger and help the woman because he believes there is always hope for people struggling mentally.
Michael said: “I stepped in because people with trauma and mental health issues can be helped, they can see a counsellor and make it out of that dark place. I didn’t want her to end her life when people could help her.
“My parents were of course worried about me, but they were very proud that I took action and stopped someone from taking their own life.”
The second incident, which happened in September 2025, saw Michael helping a lost elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease.
Michael explained: “I was in the city centre after school when I came across an elderly woman who was lost and confused. She was very distressed and nobody was stopping to help her, so I approached her. She said she didn’t know where she was.
“I noticed she wore a bracelet saying she had Alzheimer’s, which had her husband and daughter’s phone numbers written on it.
“I took the lady to a safe place near security, contacted her daughter and waited with her until her family came to collect her.”
Michael’s care for this vulnerable woman didn’t stop there. He messaged her daughter a few days later to check in and ensure the family were all okay, which he said felt like the right thing to do.
Michael said: “The lady’s family appreciated my message, and actually asked for my name and school – with my parents’ permission, of course!
“They contacted my school to say how kind and helpful I was, which was really humbling.”
Staff at West Coventry Academy were so proud of Michael’s selflessness and bravery that they put his name forward for the Outstanding Young Citizen Award.
Michael was invited to the presentation ceremony in Binley to find out if he had won – only for Chief Superintendent Paul Joyce, the Commander for policing in Coventry, to present him with the award.
He said: “My friend Holly came with me, and she was very emotional. There were a lot of people there, so I was nervous to get up in front of them all, but I was so proud when I received the award.”
Narpinder Saund, Safeguarding Lead and Pastoral Lead for Year 11 at the school, said the West Coventry Academy staff were all extremely proud of Michael.
Mrs Saund said: “We weren’t surprised whatsoever that Michael won this amazing award. He’s always been a supportive person, not just in these big ways but in small ways too. We see it in his daily actions, his empathy and kindness towards others.”
Headteacher Ana Neofitou said: “Michael really is a responsible young member of the community, a very caring person and a great asset to our school. We’re so proud of him.”