Charity worker is nominated

Mar 7 2013 by Rebecca Koncienzcy, Skelmersdale Advertiser

Charity worker is nominated

A DEDICATED charity worker has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to community based charities.

With 23 year of volunteering and having helped over 25,250 people, Alan Lewis, from Ashurst, was presented with the ‘Unsung Hero Award’ at a ceremony on February 21.

The Community Foundation for Lancashire present the Unsung Hero Award to an outstanding individual who has helped to change the lives of people in the local community as part of their Spirit of Lancashire Awards.

Alan, 55, said he was surprised and delighted to receive the award. “I do a lot of work with the Foundation and I won the Working with Young People Award last year so I didn’t even expect to be nominated this year.

“I didn’t know that I had been nominated until I got and email inviting me to the ceremony. My wife of 32 years, Sue, had kept it a secret from me - it was a really big surprise.”

The dad-of-two was rifle man in the Royal Green Jackets, and was a member of the parachute display team, he has jumped 997 times through out his career.

It was only after an accident in 1982 that Alan hung up his parachute and decided to train and teach cadets for his remaining two years of service, which lead to his passion for charity work.

Alan said: “It is hard to put into words all of the benefits the local young people gain from the work we do at S.A.Y (Skelmersdale Action for Youth).

“It is lovely to gain recognition for what I am doing as I also feel that it is recognition for the hard work of the young people of Skelmersdale.

“As well as thanking all the staff, I also wanted to thank Mr Tony Attard from PANAZ for sponsoring the Unsung Hero’s Award without the support of businesses like them and individual donations events like this wouldn’t take place.”