Latest news with #OnSide
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 3 people from Bolton who have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list
A housing campaigner, a retired youth worker and an entrepreneurial NHS doctor from Bolton have been recognised in this year's King's Birthday Honours list. Jo Darbyshire from Lostock will pick up an OBE for Services to Housing and Leaseholders alongside Katie Kendrick and Cath Williams, her two co-founders of the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC). The not-for-profit group aims to ban all new leasehold properties, where homeowners must pay ground rent to whoever owns the land their house sits on, a system it describes as 'feudal'. (Image: UGC) These costs can run to tens of thousands of pounds and affect one-in-five households across England and Wales. 'This honour is not just ours; it belongs to everyone who has contributed to this critical movement for change,' said a statement from the trio. 'Our commitment to this campaign has meant many hours away from our families and we recognise the sacrifices they have made too. READ MORE: Homeowner Jo Darbyshire's delight after Government's ban on leasehold homes being built Bolton's Dr Prash Ladva amongst Top 100 Influential People 'We are three Northern mums that have taken on the ugly face of corporate greed and ensured that others will not have to go through the nightmare that we have. "Our journey has not been without challenges. 'We faced opposition, scepticism, and at times, moments of doubt, but we persevered together. 'Our OBEs are recognition of our own personal contributions and the difference we have made to many leaseholders. 'We will keep pushing forward for leasehold reform and ultimately leasehold abolition, with commonhold becoming the default tenure here, as it is in the rest of the world.' Speaking to The Bolton News, Jo said: 'I've known since early May when they ask if you want to accept the nomination, so I've been keeping it a secret for so long I'd almost forgotten about it. 'I've not even told the kids, that'll happen tonight. 'I told my mum and dad, though. 'Mum cried and my dad said, 'I blame the parents'.' Jo, who has appeared at the Law Commission was full of praise for her NLC co-founders. 'I've done this with my two best friends, and while it's nice to be recognised, it's nicer to know I've made a real difference to people.' (Image: UCG) Rob Carter, the former Deputy Chief Executive of youth work charity OnSide, receives an MBE for Services to Young People. Now working as a consultant after retiring from his previous role, he joined the North West arm of the charity in 2008 where he led the design, procurement and delivery of its national network of Youth Zones. One of its flagship centres is the Bolton Lads and Girls Club, which opened more than a century ago and is among the largest youth centres in the UK. "I am very grateful to have been nominated for this honour and proud to accept it on behalf of my wonderful colleagues at OnSide and all the many people from the growing network of OnSide Youth Zones across the country working so hard to provide better facilities and opportunities for young people,' Rob said. "Young people deserve better than we have been giving them, but I think this award reflects a growing recognition of the value and importance of youth clubs and youth work. 'It was Bolton Lads and Girls Club that inspired the work of OnSide and the work of the Club remains as important now as it has ever been.' (Image: UGC)Dr Prash Ladva, from Deane, will receive a British Empire Medal (BEM) for Services to British Citizen Doctors Trained Overseas. As well as being an NHS doctor, Dr Ladva is CEO of LinkMedics, a business that helps British overseas-trained healthcare professionals find work in the UK. It's a route he knows well as he went through medical school in Bulgaria after being rejected for doctor training in Britain when his A-Level grades fell short. Now associate non-executive director at the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, he also won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2023 Bolton Business Awards. Dr Ladva said: " It's an incredible honour to be recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List, and I'm truly humbled to receive the BEM. This honour reflects the amazing support I've had from colleagues, family and mentors, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute meaningful change to the NHS. It's now all about how we widen that impact and make a longlasting tangible difference to society."
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Charity advocate is made Lancashire's new High Sheriff
A former property chief and a champion for youth and prison charities is Lancashire's new High Carter is set to be installed in the position in a ceremony at County Hall in Preston on philanthropist, who lives in Chorley, said he intends to "do all he can to make a difference" in the county during his year in 69-year-old said his heart "skipped a beat" when he received a phone call from Buckingham Palace, notifying him of his Royal appointment. He told BBC Radio Lancashire he was relishing his year in the historic Sheriffs are largely ceremonial and focus on supporting the monarchy's interests, the judiciary and law enforcement, while also supporting voluntary and other local organisations. Mr Carter, who is currently Deputy Lieutenant, has been a passionate advocate for OnSide, a national charity aiming to develop youth zones in all major urban centres in the UK, for about 15 was until recently a board member at both Chorley and Preston Youth Zone. 'Very moving' The 69-year-old said: "I've had a lump in my throat from seeing what can be achieved by kids who've come in, troubled, with no self-esteem and left with careers."Mr Carter is also a member of the employment advisory board at HMP Lancaster Farms, working alongside Edwin Booth, chairman of the Booths supermarket chain, to help released prisoners find work and said it was "very moving" work. During his year of office, he said he wants to bring the national charity Getting Court - a preventative and educational initiative that aims to keep young people out of trouble - to his charity work Mr Carter has also had an extensive career in property and construction including almost four decades at the Lancashire-based Eric Wright Group where he was chief executive and deputy company is owned by the Eric Wright Charitable Trust, which invests profits back into the long-serving Lancashire Enterprise Partnership board member also chaired the City Deal Board, which secured £400m of government infrastructure funding for Preston and South Ribble. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
30-01-2025
- General
- BBC News
Crewe Youth Zone excavation reveals historical items
The remains of a former Methodist chapel and a variety of locally-made bottles have been discovered as work has started on a new youth centre in a Cheshire Youth Zone is being constructed on a site on a former car park in the car park was built in the 1970s and existing buildings in the site were partially knocked down but also filled in and covered Ashleigh Harrington said the team had expected to "find absolutely nothing surviving". The youth zone is being developed by charity OnSide on the site of the former council car park on Oak site previously included some housing as well as a Methodist church. Ms Harrington works for Oxford Archaeology Lancaster and her team opened up a 10m by 20m trench on what was designated as a chapel on historical found a 2m deep cellar in a house next door and then started uncovering the remains of the chapel."We found a little range indicating that we've got a little kitchen, and a sweet little fireplace which indicated some sort of sitting room and then we found a bottle store room which was full to the top with broken bottles, with a lot of them having 'Crewe' on them," she said."This building was pushed down in the 70s to make way for this car park which has been overlaid and the tarmac is right on top of this building, they did not bother taking it out, so just finding the amount of remains we have found is crazy."The team will then go and research the bottles to find more about their links to both the chapel and the town. Stuart Mannifould is the chief executive of the youth centre, and said the project represented an investment of almost £14m."We've been in a position for a few months where we've been in the back room getting our systems in place but now we can actually see some real progress on site - it's just nice to see a digger," he said."The young people of Crewe that we're working with with our young persons development group are so excited for this to come to fruition."He added: "It's not a secret that there's lots of challenges going on with our young people, there's a huge amount of poverty in Crewe."So to have somewhere they can come and be themselves and interact with other young people and amazing youth workers can only add to their ability to progress in their lives."The youth zone is set to open in spring 2026. Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
