Accrington Lions held their annual youth awards at Brooks
Club, this was the last official duty of Lion President May
Edmundson and was attended by Councillor Mohammad Ayub and
Mayoress Mrs Noreen Ayub.
There
were more nominees in different categories than ever before
and this year there were a brother and sister both winning
an award and also one winner who won in two different
categories.
Each
award has two age categories, a senior award 11-18 and
junior award under 11. Nominees must either live, attend
school, college or a community group or work in Hyndburn.
All nominees received a medal and certificate with the
category winners receiving a glass trophy to keep.
Accrington Lions would like to thank everyone who took the
time to nominate a young person, Brooks Club for their
hospitality and also our sponsors.
This
year’s winners were:
Bravery Senior award, sponsored by Holy Trinity Church:
Paddy Radigan
Paddy was nominated by Mrs Lewis at Mount Carmel High School
who had the following to say about Paddy.
Paddy is a polite, enthusiastic and lovely young man. He is
always courteous and always wants to better himself. Paddy
has had a challenging few years due to the sad loss of a
close family member.
Paddy has made a tremendous start to life at Mount Carmel.
He has represented his form with pride in a variety of
capacities and helped out with numerous after-school events.
His attitude, application and organisation have been
exceptional; he is a true role model.

Caring for others Senior award, sponsored by Townfield Care
Great Harwood: Igor Pelkowski
Igor was also nominated by Mrs Lewis at Mount Carmel High
School. Igor is a lovely young boy who has had a challenging
year following the sad loss of a close family member.
Igor has compassion and has shown constant care for others
during very challenging times. Igor has adapted to his
circumstances with maturity, compassion, endless resilience
and determination.
The school are very proud of Igor and his strength he has
shown during very difficult times.
Igor is a credit to his family, his caring for his mother
during her terminal illness showed great strength, courage
and love.
Environment Senior award, sponsored by Acorns of
Lancashire: Chloe Bonner
Chloe was nominated by Lion President May Edmundson. Chloe
is the school Eco Captain at St Christopher’s High School.
This involves trying to get new members to join the eco
group and helping with the litter picking, growing and
selling their own organic produce, encouraging the school to
reduce their waste production by using reusable products,
turning off unnecessary lighting and recycle where possible.
The role also involves assisting the Director of
Sustainability spread the “Green Word” around school and to
other schools and groups, by attending sustainability
conferences (including the 4 Nations Sustainability
Conference). The Eco Group including Chloe have been
nominated for numerous awards, not least all gaining a
commendation at the High sheriff of Lancashire’s Young
Citizen Awards.
Chloe encourages younger children to grow their own produce,
and provide natural habitats for indigenous wildlife, in the
local community gardens at Piggy Park in Rishton.

Fundraising Senior award, sponsored by Pampered Pets,
Oswaldtwistle: Chloe Bonner
Chloe is Charity Representative at St Christopher’s.
She has helped organise sponsored “Rough Sleep” to raise
funds and awareness of the plight of the homeless. She was
interviewed by Radio Lancashire and visited Night safe to
see where/how the money is needed.
She assists at school fundraising events such as Christmas
fayres, summer fayres, fashion shows, quiz nights, BBQ’s etc
Chloe visited Shining Faces orphanage in India after
fundraising events such as car washing, car boots,
gardening, decorating, quiz nights, Mothering Sunday lunch.
Whilst there she helped to distribute donations of toys,
clothing and toys. She came back a changed person.

Health Awareness Junior award, sponsored by Caz’s Crafty
Creations: Theo Slinger
Theo was nominated by a family friend Donna Greenwood. Donna
told us that Theo is a brave superhero. He battles with type
1 diabetes every day. He now has a pod which is a great help
and he wanted to make a video to put on Facebook to show
other children with diabetes that it doesn’t hurt too much
when you change them.
It takes so much out of the little chap, when he is low you
just feel so helpless.
His family would be so proud to show Theo the
recognition he deserves, his smile lights up the room. To
win this award would put him on top of the world.

Health Awareness Senior award, sponsored by Accrington
Lions: Chloe Fitzpatrick
Chloe was nominated by Gayle Knight from Oswaldtwistle Civic
Theatre. Chloe has a life-threatening allergy to
strawberries. The allergy is air-borne so she takes
calculated risks every day, especially in summer when
strawberries are out in force.
To raise awareness of allergies in general, she and her
sisters wrote a play which was performed at the Civic Arts
Centre last year following the tragic death of Megan Lee (a
young girl with a nut allergy).
The play was originally intended to be taken into schools to
raise awareness, but Lancashire County Council’s Food Safety
team became aware of the play and asked Chloe and her
sisters if it could be made into a film.
With encouragement from Allergy UK and Anaphalaxis UK, a
short documentary film was made which is now being sent out
to every school in Lancashire. It is hoped it will become a
national campaign.

Young Carer Junior award, sponsored by J2A: Connor Edleston
Connor was nominated by his aunty Natasha Kerr.
Natasha told us on his nomination form that Connor
has an older brother Zack who has complex disabilities. My
sister has raised both boys alone and with Zack needing so
much care and support, Connor often has to take a back seat.
He knows how to care for Zack and can operate the equipment
himself and has done for many years. He will step in to help
with any part of his care to help my sister without being
asked.
He often has to miss things or wait around for things for
Zack and he will never moan or complain. I just think that
he deserves something to be just about him to show him he is
a superstar.

Young Carer Senior award, sponsored by Townfield Care Great
Harwood: Lee Scott
Lee was nominated by: Mrs Wild, Mount Carmel High School.
Lee is a young carer for his Dad as well as working hard in
school. He also takes on other interests such as woodwork in
his own time at home.
He is a fine young man who deserves recognition for all he
does.

Sportsperson of the Year Junior award: Madison Cronshaw,
sponsored by Accrington Lions.
Madison was nominated by her mum Susan Cronshaw who told us
that Madison is 10 years old and has participated in dancing
from the age of 2. She dances in the styles of ballet, tap,
street, cheer, ballroom, Latin and classical sequences. She
really enjoys dancing and it shows in her performance and
facial expressions.
Madison has also joined an all-girls football team at
Bullough Park junior football club and has started to gain
experience as a goalkeeper. As part of the Globe family
Madison has been involved in many charity events set up by
the club including delivering presents to the elderly in
sheltered accommodation.
She is a lovely,
kind and bubbly young lady with a truly amazing personality
who always puts 100% into everything she takes part in and
both my husband and I are proud of her and her achievements
to date.

Sportsperson of the Year Senior award, sponsored by Jim
Gilbert Decorating Services: Jay Cronshaw
Jay was nominated by a very proud mum. Mrs Susan Cronshaw
who told us that Jay is a quiet boy with low self-esteem who
does not realise the significance of what he has already
achieved in his life. Jay has been under constant
investigation for Asperger Syndrome and has found social
interactions to be a challenge in the past.
Jay is 14 years of age and attends St Christopher’s High
School. Despite the daily challenges Jay faces he has
thrived at sports. He represents the school at football and
table tennis, but most noticeably at judo where he has
represented the school 3 times at national level in the BJA
British Schools Championships.
At the age of 8 he began to compete in competition, starting
at local competition but gradually building his way up to
the Ippon League, the national league which tours the
country once a month with the best 20 boys and girls from
every age and weight category competing in a league format
to gain points in the GB ranking system. Jay has been as
high as 6th in the GB ranking for a pre-cadet
under 38kg boy and he is a member of the North West Squad
and has represented them at national events on many
occasions.
Jay represents the Accrington junior football club Globe
Bullough Park under 14’s. As part of the Globe family Jay
has been regularly involved with the club’s charity events
including handing out Christmas presents to the elderly in
sheltered accommodation, raising money for Jason’s Wheels
and a new defibrillator for Bullough Park.
In his spare time Jay has joined Ossy Joggers to support his
mum and regularly takes part in 5K Burnley Park runs held
every Saturday morning at Townley Park. He is also a member
of Lancashire Police Cadets and is currently doing his Duke
of Edinburgh Bronze award with the cadets volunteering his
time to help train the 5 and 6 year olds who have just taken
up judo at his club.
|