Berry, 14, a student at Newmarket College, is the reigning world champion in the red-belt category for his weight and age, although he has since been up-graded to black-belt status.

He is also the English middleweight champion in his age group and has held a number of other national and regional titles in both patterns and sparring disciplines.

His father Wayne said the grant would be "immensely useful" in helping with travelling and accommodation expenses for events around the country as well as for sparring equipment.

"We are very grafetul indeed to the Suffolk SportsAid Foundation for selecting Sean for this grant," he added.

Berry is trained by Derek Blackburn at the Mid-Anglia School of Tae Kwon Do, which meets at Newmarket's New Astley Club.

He was presented with a cheque at a SportsAid Foundation fundraising lunch held at the Bedford Lodge Hotel, Newmarket, on Friday.

It was handed over by World, European and Paralympic champion Danny Crates, who also met Bury St Edmunds wheelchair athlete Brian Alldis, a member of the 30-strong GB squad for the Beijing Paralympics.