Chris Scoops 2BR's Local Hero Award

Chris Lovell, on behalf of the North Lancs Training Group and the Paul Hunter Foundation, has won the 2BR Local Heroes award for the public services sponsored by Walker Farimond.

The presentation, made recently at the Fence Gate, Burnley, recognised the work carried out by Chris and the team in using the game of snooker to engage young people aged up to 18 to come off the streets and do something positive with their time. Since its conception in 2008, the Paul Hunter Foundation YNOT Snooker youth based at Cue Masters in Church, Accrington and the Flagship of the Paul Hunter Foundation has seen a reduction of 63% first time entrants into the criminal system, saving the tax payer £293,000.  The police reported this at times when the snooker sessions were being delivered.

Through North Lancs Training Group 800 youngsters annually will use snooker as part of their induction onto the Foundation Learning programme and subsequently it will be used to support their learning of English and maths to achieve nationally recognised Functional Skills qualifications at the Group’s £2.2 million state of the art facility on the Old Bakery site, formerly the Elite Snooker Club on Grange Lane, Accrington.  Chris has developed various programmes across Lancashire with the support of the Lancashire Young People’s Service and the Accrington Academy.

Chris says, "On behalf of all the team involved in delivering the sessions, I’d like to thank everyone for the support and backing without which none of this could have happened.  Young people today get a raw deal on the whole but we can see that if you invest time, energy and support and give them the opportunity to develop and feel better than they every thought possible and throw in the odd snooker legend here and there, then the results can be positive.  To be delivering snooker at this level and rubbing shoulders with all the top snooker players, is just a dream come true for the team; we are all feeling very proud."