When businessman Andy Davies was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his working life was obviously affected, but he didn’t expect his career to be over.
He took his former bosses to a tribunal and won, although he is still awaiting payment from the company’s insurers when it went into liquidation.
However, he knew he could return to work, he just needed the right conditions and now he has set up his own business, he also lays down the rules and can work successfully to his capabilities and limitations.
I was commissioned to write his heartwarming story as a freelance journalist and it was printed in the Big Issue In The North. Thank you to Liz Henson Photography for the photo.
OTHER NEWS
Another busy month at CSM and I was privileged to be asked to run a News Day at St Mary’s CE School as part of the extended hours Wonderful Things programme. I meticulously planned a host of news, craft, writing, fun, games and creative activities that saw the 17 primary school children who took part seeing news in a fun and exciting way.They learnt about newspaper words, drew and painted mastheads for a wall display, wrote stories to silly headlines and discussed their favourite things. They played flappy fish and composed their own puzzles, wordsearches, crosswords. poems and pictures to colour in.
The day finished with the pupils creating 3D models from newspapers of famous landmarks. I then took away all their written work and created a four-page A4 newspaper News Day to be given to the pupils involved.
This month has seen me working for even more new businesses and returning clients including the sad story of the retirement of market traders Joan and Hazel, which made page 3 in the Rossendale Free Press, a story on Valley Supported Living’s relocation, St Mary’s RC School’s lovely friendship week and Antony and Patricia’s plans to open a barber shop. I was also asked to help a friend Marc Evans promote his London Marathon run for Rossendale Hospice and am delighted to report he finished in 3 hrs 35 mins and raised nearly two thousand pounds for the very worthy cause.
For my contract clients I produced another newsletter for Veterans In Communities and the veterans singing group recording a CD made a lead story in the Free Press and Lancashire Telegraph.
Haslingden High School’s amazing trampolinists and biathletes made a huge story in the Free Press along with other page leads about the school winning a Rotary Club technology competition and its superb musicians.
Fearns Community Sports College was featured for its efforts for Sport Relief and an inspiring university visit.
At JJO, the joint managing director’s praise for the new living wage made a story in the press and was on the Lancashire Telegraph’s business web pages just an hour after it was written.
As a result of the success of the work I have undertaken to promote Rossendale Business Awards, I am now also promoting the inaugural Hyndburn Business Awards through the Accrington Observer. The first ceremoney will be in June.
My book on the murder of Sophie Lancaster has been rebranded, updated and relaunched as The Sophie Lancaster Story and is now available to buy on Amazon worldwide through RJ Parker Publishing.In May I will live be on the airwaves of BBC Radio Lancashire delivering the Rossendale Borough Council election results at they happen on May 6. Listen out if you have time.
To view cuttings like my Facebook business page Catherine Smyth Media.