A chip off the old block

Father and daughter duo win LJMU citizenship awards

Paul Beesley and his 11 year-old daughter, Olivia, prove that charity does begin at home by both winning Citizenship Awards from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).

Paul, LJMU'’s Director of Development and Alumni Relations, won a Good Citizenship award for his voluntary work with St Andrews Family Support Project, which provides a variety of services to the local community, including a breakfast café, various family groups and a debt counselling service. For the last seven years, Paul has also been an active member of the Parent, Teacher and Friends Association of the Childwall Church of England Primary School, attended by his daughter Olivia.

Paul said: ''It was a huge surprise to be nominated for this award and an even greater surprise to win it. Like many volunteers, you do the work because there are needs in the community, which can’t be ignored. I am so proud of Olivia and absolutely delighted for her and friends, who have worked hard fundraising both in and out of School. If they are an example of our future society, then caring for others will be a number one priority.''

Olivia was one of eight children from Childwall Church of England Primary School to receive the LJMU Good Citizenship Award on the last day of term. The award recognised their work for a range of charities, including World Vision. The children, acting on their own initiative, arranged various fundraising activities throughout the year.

Olivia said: ''We all really enjoyed the fundraising events and did it to help others less fortunate that us, not to win awards. But when we received the award on our last day at school we were really pleased.''

LJMU's Foundation for Citizenship established the awards to help promote active citizenship within the University and the wider community. In 2005, the Foundation presented Good Citizenship Awards to young people from over 700 schools in Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, St Helens and Sefton.

It's the second year that the University has presented Citizenship Awards to staff and, as Tommy McIlravey, LJMU's Staff Volunteering Co-ordinator explains, the calibre of nominees was outstanding: ''It's amazing to think that on top of working full time, members of staff are actively involved in community initiatives that are making a real difference to the quality of life enjoyed by hundreds of people across Merseyside.''

Naseem Anwar, LJMU's Senior Adviser on Equality and Policy Development was the overall winner of the General Good Citizenship Category. The award recognises Naseem's involvement with a wide range of voluntary groups. He currently acts as an independent advisor around race issues for Merseyside Police and BBC Radio Merseyside; he is Dept Chair of the Granby Community Mental Health Trust and also works with the Merseyside Society for Deaf People.

LJMU's Health, Safety and Environment Adviser, Jane Ball won the Youth Development Category for her longstanding involvement with Camp Project Wales and the Royal Lifesaving Society; while Mike Kennedy won the Outstanding Contribution Category in recognition of his voluntary work over the last 35 years. During this time he has been involved with the St Vincent De Paul Society, Wirral Rehab, Advent Project, Rawtestall Weavers Trust, Liverpool Former Dockworkers Community Group, Granby Development Trust and the Blackburn Community Development Centre.

Andrew Hull's passion for nature conservation helped him win the Volunteer Innovation Category. Andrew, a Lecturer in Countryside Management, encouraged the development of a 10-hectare nature reserve at his home village of Tattenhall in Cheshire, first by establishing the Tattenhall Wildlife Group in May 2004 and then by securing funding from the Forestry Commission and WREN (local landfill operator) for Landfill Tax Funding. He is now investigating how to protect a further two hectares of unimproved grassland, known as Glebe Meadow.

Around 30 administrators from LJMU's Faculty of Business and Law were the winners of the team category. In April the team helped transform kitchen and bathroom facilities at the St Vincent’s School for Blind and Partially Sighted Children. 

Since 2003, over 700 LJMU staff have worked on around 100 community projects, from mentoring young people to helping the over 50s surf the Internet.

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