A PRESTON man has become the North West's National training Awards winner for 2002.

Policy development officer Nirmal Singh, who has worked for Lancashire County Council since 1979, impressed the judges with the way he has used his lifelong pursuit of learning as a way to develop his career.

Nirmal was presented with the prestigious award at a special ceremony at Manchester Town Hall on Tuesday November 12.

He was one of six from the region - and the only one from Lancashire - short-listed from a staggering 42 entrants to gain the prestigious accolade. He also travelled to the Guildhall in London on December 3 for a gathering of all the UK winners. Once there, he was presented with the Exceptional Excellence in Training in the Public Sector Award.

Nirmal said, "I am delighted to have won this award, especially as I was up against a lot of competition from the other finalists.

"This award is an assessment of my work as a trainer. I know how important training is, as my masters degree is in agricultural entomology, so I had to re-train myself."

On arriving in the UK in 1978 as a highly qualified academic, Nirmal found that his qualifications were redundant in Britain. Not to be outdone, he went about re-inventing himself using education and training to forge his career in Social Services, which extends to community work and race relations.

Nirmal, 51, is a founding father of the Guru Nanak recreational centre in Clarendon Street, Preston, and the Preston Sikh Cultural Association, and he represented the Sikh community when HRH Prince Charles came to Preston in 1981.

He also received the Whitbread Volunteer Action Awards Commendation Certificate in 2000 for his voluntary services.

Many statutory and voluntary agencies continue to seek Nirmal for his highly valued training and advice on race and cultural issues.

Sheela Solanki, a Mediation Assistant with Blackpool Social Services walked away with the coveted Regional Award.

Outside her work as a Mediation Assistant, Sheela is very active and is a director of the management committee of Preston's Women's Refuge..