JOSHUA Shelley is all about the animal magic.

Joshua, 16, is studying level one animal care at Barnsley College’s Wigfield Farm campus.

But rather than spend his breaks and lunches relaxing, he spends his spare time volunteering at the working farm.

He has been nominated for a Young Champions award by his tutor Luke Andrew.

Luke said: “Joshua is a very bright student and really enjoys his time at the farm. When Joshua is having breaks he will take this opportunity to volunteer on the farm and help with general house keeping such as litter picking, ensuring gates are closed, carrying out visual checks on a variety of animals to ensure they are safe and secure.

“Joshua is a hard working student and I find that he is a positive role model to other students as he takes responsibility for ensuring the farm is kept to a great standard by volunteering his own time between lessons.”

Mum Nikki, from Springwood Road, Hoyland, said Joshua has wanted to work at the farm since he was in year eight and visited on a school trip.

She said Joshua, who is autistic, even accepted the level one course rather than the level three he qualified for as it means he will spend a total of four years studying there with more contact time with the animals.

Nikki said: “He would do anything for anyone, and especially the animals on the farm. He wanted to go and help out even when it was half term.

“At home he has two guinea pigs, a rabbit, a hamster and a tortoise. But we have had lots and lots more and he tends to adopt those animals which other people have given up. And he will keep their original names too, like our hamster Elsa. Things like that are very important to him.

“He doesn’t like to just hang about, he loves to keep busy. He will volunteer his time often and is always very keen to please. He gets on really well with adults and it is amazing how often they will say he is their prize student, which is absolutely fantastic to hear as a parent.

“I might be biased but he is genuinely a lovely kid who loves to do what he is doing and never gets into trouble or wags college.

“I collect him from the farm and he is often on with volunteering when I arrive. He really puts himself out there and does himself and us proud.”