WHEN former police constable Dr Walter Park volunteered to give a few hours of his time to run a helpline in Burnley he didn’t expect that he would end up dedicating the next 40 years to charitable causes.

The 77-year-old’s dedication to helping others has been so great that he was appointed a MBE by the Queen for his services to the community.

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And despite the fact he is heading towards his eighties, he says that he will carry on helping others for the foreseeable future.

Walter, who has lived in the St Matthew Street area for the past 20 years first started volunteering in the 1970s when he heard that volunteers were needed for Burnley Aidsline.

His desire to help people soon became an obsession.

“I never intended to spend so much of my time volunteering and being involved with different groups, it just snowballed,” he said.

He starting a counselling diploma at Burnley College and later a degree in health studies at the University of Central Lancashire, then went on to get a Phd in cognitive studies.

He said: “I got to know people who were involved in other local groups from the course and the helpline who asked me to help out.

“I started representing Burnley Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service and am now the vice chair.

“Over the years volunteering has just become almost like an obsession.”

Amongs the groups Walter is involved with is Cruse Bereavement Care which helps people across East Lancashire who have had family members or friends die.

He is also vice-chair of Burnley and Padiham Over-50s Forum. During his time on the forum he has been involved in a number of initiatives including helping to get a bus shelter put up at Burnley General Hospital.

And he is treasurer of Galloping Grannies Community Horse Riding group, for which he was instrumental in obtaining £3,000 for trips for older people.

He is also an active member of Howard Street Community Garden and Neighbourhood Watch and with the borough-wide Private Rented Sector Forum.

In addition to these he is also involved with a number of groups concerned with LGBT issues.

He said: “A lot of my interest lies with preventing social isolation and I like to get involved with a lot of the activities myself, such as the exercise classes and horse riding.”

And when he isn’t helping out at the numerous local groups, he is offering up his time to help his elderly neighbours put out their bins and checking if they need any other help.

The modest former Royal Horse Guard said: “I think my proudest moment was when I got the MBE.

“However I didn’t think I deserved it as there are hundreds or thousands of people who do as much as me, if not more.”