INDIVIDUALS OF THE YEAR MIKE LANCASTER, ALISON RUSTON, WILLIAM CARTER, TRICIA PEARCE
Mike Lancaster CHRISTOPHER “Ronnie” Wright, was playing dominoes at the Bold Arms in Churchtown when he took a turn for the worse and collapsed.
He stopped breathing and two men stepped in and performed CPR, saving his life. One of those men was Mike Lancaster. At the time, Mike said: “Everything happened so quickly. “The gentleman was playing dominoes as part of a weekly competition when he slumped without warning. It just looked like he’d dropped something on the floor, but it became obvious something was seriously wrong.
“He was struggling to breathe and then became completely unresponsive.”
Mike, who has very basic first aid training, said he just did what anybody else would do in the same situation.
He said the adrenaline just kicked in and they acted as a team without thinking
Ronnie’s son, Derek, said: “If it hadn’t been for these two men, my father would have died that night and we are just so grateful to them.
Alison Ruston ALISON has three children and her middle child, Jess, has complex needs and requires constant care.
Alison has to juggle things constantly to ensure that Jess receives the care and education she needs every day, whilst making sure that her other two children, Olivia and Joe, don’t miss out whilst being young carers. You may think that would be enough to keep anyone busy. But not Alison, who also supports a number of other activities – she is on the Derian House parent adviser group, is an advocate of Chipmunks at Churchtown Primary school and speaks at events to promote young carer groups in schools.
Alison also set up a Facebook group – SEND A SMILE – to recognise that some disabled children would really benefit from receiving post addressed to them.
The idea is to raise a smile and provide some lovely memories for the family. The post can be as simple as a letter or picture or even a gift.
The group has really taken off and Alison now has more than 80 smile receivers on her list and around 50 senders.
Tricia Pearce TRICIA, who for the past nine years has been chairwoman of Ainsdale Horticultural Society, works tirelessly through the year helping with the planning of the July Flower Show.
She has reinstated the children’s disco and Sunday car boot/ auction and she contacts firms and assists in putting together a great raffle for the show.
She also assists in the selection and organising of the Flower Queen and attendants, shopping for dresses and organising the girls on the day and spends every waking moment in the week leading up to the show helping in the preparation for the big day.
She is still there on the Saturday evening, and back at 6am to run the car boot sale.
She organises monthly talks, Christmas demonstration evenings and even helps tend the ground surrounding the war memorial on the village green.
This is just a small snippet of the fantastic work that this remarkable lady does.
William Carter FOR 30 years, William has worked in specialist hospitals. When he retired, he went on to run a voluntary service for individuals with learning difficulties within West Lancashire.
He is now chairman of South Sefton Mencap - and has made such a difference to so many people’s lives - even going as far as to take individuals into his home to care for them, and flying an individual home to the UK who needed immediate healthcare.
Many day centres have recently been shut down forcing so many people out of their routines and happy places, he has opened his doors and changed so many lives. He has endlessly fundraised to improve the club he runs, and he does all of this without a fuss or any need for thanks.
His family, children, grandchildren and friends say that he has the kindest heart and goes above and beyond any duty required of him. They believe he deserves a medal.. And we do too..