MBE for charitable Alumnus
12 January 2010
New Year honour for 'hole in the heart' campaigner.
An Alumnus of LJMU has been recognised in the New Year honours for his inspirational fundraising efforts and campaigning on congenital heart defects.
Paul Willgoss, who studied Applied Biology at the University from 1990-1994, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his charity work.
Paul, who was born with a hole in the heart, is currently half way through a12-month, 1,000km fundraising run and has recently completely the Great North Run, the Greater Manchester Run and the Liverpool 10km. He has trekked the length of Hadrian’s Wall and clambered up Mount Snowdon, raising more than £10,000.
In August, he took pride of place on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, walking almost a mile in 60 minutes dressed as a giant broken heart – highlighting how heart problems need not prevent people from living a full and active life.
Paul commented: “It’s truly humbling to receive an award like this. When I first got the letter from the Palace I couldn’t believe it and kept waking up in the night to check it to make sure it wasn’t a dream."
“There are 150,000 adults with congenital heart conditions in Britain and given the right medical treatment there is no reason why they can’t live a full and active life. I hope that my story goes some way to showing that to be true."
“I’m really looking forward to the investiture at Buckingham Palace, not least because it will be a much welcome break from the marathon training and a chance to take off my running shoes for a bit.”
Paul is a trustee of both the of Children’s Heart Foundation (CHF) and the Heart Care Partnership (the patient voice in the British Cardiovascular Society) and also volunteers for the Grown Up Congenital Heart Patients Association (GUCH PA).
Julie Wootton from CHF said: “Paul is a really inspirational individual. He is not alone in showing that congenital heart conditions need not prevent people from achieving some truly amazing feats, but what marks him out is his infectious spirit and lust for life. He really is an example to everyone and I know that he has made a real impression on the people he has met in similar circumstances and worked to make their lives materially better. There won’t be many honours more richly deserved.”
