2012 WAS an exceptional year for Great Britain, with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and the London Olympic and Paralympic Games brightening up the British summer.

For one deaf boy from Bridestowe, his own exceptional year has been capped off by the kind fundraising efforts of Okehampton Golf Club.

Tom Pearce, 12, attends both the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education and Okehampton College.

He suffers from auditory neuropathy (AN), a form of hearing loss where sound information is not faithfully transmitted to the auditory nerve and brain properly.

He was diagnosed as deaf aged two, and at aged seven, doctors fully realised the severity of his deafness, and he was fitted with a cochlear implant.

One of Tom's neighbours is John Haley, the outgoing captain of Okehampton Golf Club for 2012. Each year, the club captain nominates a charity for the club to support throughout their 12 month stint in the hot seat.

John approached Tom's parents Michael and Vanessa at the start of the year, and told them he wanted to support Tom and other deaf children living in the area.

Together, they decided that the club could raise money for Plymouth and District Deaf Children's Society.

Formed in 1964, PDDCS works to support hearing impaired children and their families by organising events and social activities, and providing a forum for families to talk about all aspects of hearing loss.

The group recently took part in a basketball workshop for deaf children with the Plymouth Raiders team before getting to watch a live match.

Tom's mother Vanessa said: 'We are thrilled that John chose to support Plymouth and District Deaf Children's Society.

'He knows our daughters Amy and Holly, and Tom through working with the Phoenix Youth Theatre group, and it was a lovely gesture.

'The £1,000 raised by the golf club means so much to us.

'It enables us to do more with families and ensuring both the children and families have activities to do and help to prevent the isolation deafness can cause.'

The donation to PDDCS is just the latest bit of good news in a wonderful year for Tom.

'Earlier this year, he carried the Olympic torch through Taunton.

'He was the youngest deaf torchbearer in the country, and was lucky enough to carry the Olympic flame on stage at Somerset County Cricket Club.

Tom was nominated by staff at the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education for his caring attitude at school towards others at school, particularly helping younger and less able children participate in sporting activities.

He was also nominated for his unwavering effort to work in both a mainstream school and a deaf school.

He goes to Okehampton College three days a week, and in the upcoming term will try out going four days a week.

Sports-mad Tom, who takes part in cross-country running, football, basketball, cycling and tennis among other sports, shared the Olympic experience with his older sister Amy.

He was meant to be running with a sign-language interpreter, but they never arrived.

Instead, Amy ran with Tom as he carried the torch from the gate of Somerset County Cricket Club around the ground, to the stage. He was also joined by family and friends from the PDDCS, who travelled to Taunton on a minibus to join in the experience.

Tom said: 'I was nervous and excited carrying the torch. It was quite scary when I found out, I couldn't believe it. It was a great day, and I loved it.

'I really liked the Olympics and the Paralympics. The sailing at the Olympics was good, and the wheelchair rugby was so exciting.'

Vanessa added: 'We were so thrilled and honoured when we found out Tom had been nominated by the academy.

'It was all so very exciting, and an absolutely amazing day.

'We were all so excited and proud of him.

'He ended up on the national news, he was interviewed by Remark! Television, a sign language programme, they saw singer Will.i.am on the coach and got his autograph.

'It was a once in a lifetime thing. We watched Sports Personality of the Year on television when it was on, and there was all the Olympics coverage. We can say forever that Tom was a part of the London Olympics.'