Comment: We need more folk like Paul (From Lancashire Telegraph)
When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
Comment: We need more folk like Paul
3:34pm Wednesday 27th June 2012 in Opinion
LOCAL and central government spending cuts have made life a lot harder for many people.
Support services for the poorest and most vulnerable have inevitably had funding reduced, particularly where councils do not have a statutory duty to provide them.
In many areas, the ability of all sorts of activities, especially for the young, now depend for their existence on the goodwill and big hearts of volunteers.
That’s why we need a lot more people like Paul Roberts from Barnoldswick.
Paul, 20, had been named as the North West winner in a national Young Volunteer Awards scheme.
He is involved in leading groups of disabled children in sports activities including football and basketball skill sessions.
Paul himself suffers from dyspraxia, a condition which affects communication and co-ordination and participated in the project himself from the age of 12.
One of the organisers of the awards summed up Paul’s contribution by saying that without the efforts of volunteers like him, youngsters in deprived neighbourhoods “wouldn’t have the sporting chance they deserve.”
We need a lot more people like Paul.
