Commuity Group - Nominees

But in the last 10 years THOMAS (THose On the Margins of A Society) has become arguably the most effective Blackburn-based charity.

It is the brainchild of Catholic priest Father Jim McCartney, a modest man who is probably embarrassed that he has almost achieved celebrity status because of the organisation's work, and Elaine Kennedy, a former teacher and nurse.

THOMAS began as a soup kitchen and now runs 12-week rehabilitation programmes and a host of other services for people with drug problems.

The group works with drug users, alcoholics and other disadvantaged groups who struggle in the community and suffer social exclusion.

A mentoring scheme for ex-offenders is another of the initiatives where workers go into prisons and counsel those with drug problems and a drop-in centre in France Street serves up to 70 meals a day to local homeless people.

Initial funding for THOMAS came from donations from people who received THOMAS' magazine Edges. The majority of funding today is from grants and individual donations.

Additional money for specific excursions is raised through fundraising activities such as raffles.

There are always 12 people on the rehabilitation programmes at any time and hundreds more are helped each month through THOMAS' other schemes.

Sir Bill Taylor, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: "I know of the work of THOMAS mainly through its excellent regular magazine.

"And I know the work of THOMAS is held in high regard right up to a national level.

"They are playing a very important part in helping to tackle one of the biggest problems of our age - the menace of drugs and their effects, especially on young people."

Skate park victory for youngsters. THE VICTORY Wheelie Park Group is living proof that young people do an awful lot more than just hang around street corners making a nuisance of themselves and scaring the neighbours.

The dynamic group was first formed around three years ago after a group of youths held discussions with councillors and local residents.

The meetings talked about how to make that area of Barnoldswick more attractive to the young and give them something to do which they would enjoy and would keep them off the streets.

They have now transformed a former crazy golf course into an area for skateboarders, bikers and rollerbladers complete with a variety of ramps and jumps.

The group, which now has more than 50 youngsters involved plus their parents, grandparents and other relatives and friends helping, has raised more than £30,000 through a variety of fundraising activities.

The wheelie park will be maintained by Pendle Council as it is within the park.

Future plans for the wheelie park include saving to purchase floodlighting so it can be used later in the evenings and taking more demonstrations into other areas to teach young people how to get started with projects of their own.

One particular fan of the wheelie park is Harold Green, an 83-year-old who goes over the ramps in his electric motorised scooter shouting 'Geronimo!"

Benefits have including reductions in juvenile nuisance in other areas of Barnoldswick, particularly with young people on bikes, skateboards or rollerblades; a better sense of community spirit and somewhere safe and fun for young people to hang out.

Coun David Whipp said: "The group has done a lot of good in two ways.

"First of all the issue of kids on bikes and skateboards in the town centre has been massively reduced.

"But the real issue is the fact that it was the kids that got stuck in to do this in the first instance. It's given them a lot of confidence and has instilled some civic pride, a feeling that they can achieve things and that working with people is a good feeling."

Village volunteers ready to respond. OBVIOUSLY you do not get the chance to choose but if you had to pick somewhere other than a hospital to suffer a heart attack Read Village would be a good bet.

Since January this year more than 20 residents have undertaken first aid training to become the community's First Responders.

The volunteers are on call on a rota system and carry a pager 24/7 so that they can be first on the scene if someone suffers a heart attack in the village.

The rota means the area is covered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They can all administer survival treatment in the vital minutes before the emergency ambulance crew arrives.

The community got involved by responding to the Heart of Lancashire Appeal supported by Lancashire Ambulance Service.

Group members regularly attend meetings, are heavily involved in fundraising and are reassessed every three months in order to maintain their skills.

When it is their shift first responders carry a pager, often throughout the night or over a weekend, and immediately respond to 999 calls made to the ambulance service in that area.

The group is currently borrowing equipment from another area but is fundraising to purchase its own defibrilator.

Their aim is to reduce deaths from heart attacks and sudden illness within their community.

Using their skills volunteers help to keep patients alive until the paramedics arrive -- this help can make the vital difference between life and death for heart attack victims.

Nigel Evans, Ribble Valley MP said: "It is an excellent scheme and we should have nothing but pride for the people who make the scheme work."