Sofia Buncy, Youth Worker

Sofia Buncy
Sofia Buncy
 

Sofia Buncy is changing hearts and minds within the Huddersfield community.

For the youth worker’s creative work has meant young Asian women are achieving more freedom than they would otherwise have had and their families are changing long-held attitudes and opinions.

She was nominated by Aadil Yousaf from Huddersfield Pakistani Community Alliance said: “Over the years Sofia has successfully developed and delivered a wide range of community projects for young people primarily from traditional, conservative, deprived and marginalised Pakistani homes. These young people often have an absence of empowerment and thereby lack in social skills, aspirations and educational attainment.

“Her biggest influence throughout her working life has been on young Asian women from traditional Pakistani Muslim families who were prevented from fulfilling their true potentials and aspirations due to gender inequalities and subordination. Mainly due to Sofia’s personality and her unique approach she has inspired confidence and trust in parents and families of young Muslim girls. She has encouraged them to be more relaxed about their daughters’ active and social involvement in activities and programmes, as opposed to the scared and closed approach they were taking when Sofia first began work within the community. 

“What is most impressing about Sofia was her ‘never give up’ attitude and approach to everything and anything that she set her mind upon.”

Since 2004 Sofia has worked as a youth development and support worker with Huddersfield Pakistani Community Alliance and also does a great deal of voluntary work. Along with her co-worker, Mumtaz Ali, they helped to develop Pakistani Youth Forum which is considered as one of the most creative and innovative youth-led organisations in the region or, for that matter, the country and others have now copied it.

There was no provision for young women of Pakistani origin in the area so Sofia set up regular activities for them in the Thornton Lodge area, inspiring them to excel in their education and social life.

Aadil said: “Some parents also had serious reservations about their daughters going on to progress to a college or university. Young women faced with this negative mindset often felt disillusioned, oppressed, alienated and de-motivated and simply gave up trying to become something they had no chance of being. Sofia was able to work closely with young girls and their parents to alleviate fears and address false misconceptions about the role and place of young women. She has developed and promoted empowerment for women.”

Recently she has been involved in a project helping Muslim women who have been jailed integrate back into the community – and once again Sofia is working hard to overcome the stigma that can entail with many of the inmates shunned and left isolated by their families once they are behind bars.

Lee Orton, Huddersfield Goals 4 Hearts

Lee Orton
Lee Orton
 

Lee Orton’s near-death experience has led him to do all he can to save other lives.

Lee, 31, collapsed from a rare heart condition and suffered a cardiac arrest while playing football in Huddersfield and was saved by the quick-thinking actions of a man who was watching and an ambulance crew with a defibrillator who arrived in the nick of time.

Since then he has gone on the set up a new charity called Huddersfield Goals 4 Hearts to provide as many heart-starting defibrillators as possible at amateur football grounds throughout Huddersfield along with first aid training.

Such is his support that he won the 2013 Examiner Wish campaign by quite a long way with people collecting an amazing 60,000 tokens for him which reaped just over £1,000.

Lee, an electrical contract manager who lives in Ashbrow, was playing for Barr Street-based Aimbry in the club’s opening match in the new Huddersfield District League season against Brook Motors when he suddenly collapsed. Luckily for him, a spectator at the match was former nurse Mark Martin who gave Lee CPR to keep his heart going for almost 10 minutes, helped by Aimbry player Simon West, before paramedics arrived to take him to hospital. Lee had a pacemaker fitted to his heart.

Lee has received several nominations and one of them, Laura Scott, said: “The defibrillator re-started Lee’s heart and got it beating in a regular pattern.

“ Without this it would have been fatal. While Lee was recovering in hospital he asked the doctors and nurses many questions and it became quite apparent that this type of accident happens all the time and to people of all ages when playing sports. Some are not as lucky as Lee which really made him want to help.

“Lee has made it his mission to help raise awareness of this and has tirelessly campaigned to get his charity up and running and recognised. He did all this when he should have been recovering too. Lee has done so well already and has raised three defibrillators so far. Lee has touched a lot of people with his story and his determination to help and I truly believe this is why he won the Wish challenge. I think this is an amazing achievement in such a small space of time. I have no doubts that Lee will continue in his quest and help save the lives of others and the charity will keep growing into great success.”

The charity has now provided defibrillators at Brighouse Town, Aimbry at Barr Street off Leeds Road where several teams are based, Brook Motors and Lepton Highlanders.

Robin Weaver, who has worked with Lee for 10 years, added: “Lee is also on a mission to get defibrillators place in local schools because every year in the UK 16 school children die from sudden cardiac arrests. I personally think this is a fantastic idea because I’m a dad of two children and both my boys play football and are still at school, and I would hate for something like that to happen to them or anyone else.”

The issue hit the national headlines two years ago when a defibrillator helped to save the life of Bolton Wanderer’s player Fabrice Muamba when he collapsed at White Hart Lane in 2012.

Kerry Sykes, Holmfirth volunteer

Kerry Sykes
Kerry Sykes

If it’s happening in Holmfirth then Kerry Sykes will be very much involved.

For Kerry puts in up to 40 voluntary hours a week to promote Holmfirth in every way she possibly can.

The mum-of-three has been nominated by several people in the Holme Valley, including Jon
Burdon who said: “Kerry has helped to really pull the community together and promote our lovely town of Holmfirth online, helping to make a real
difference in the local community.

More than 4,000 events have been promoted during this time and the website has supported over 200 local businesses and 100 local community groups.

“Kerry has a real passion for Holmfirth, and has worked selflessly on the website for over two years, not only running the
website and the Facebook page, but also setting up and helping run local community Facebook groups.”

These are Holmfirth What’s On Calendar — promoting local events and news; Holmfirth Snow — a Facebook group helping the local community communicate with each other in extreme weather conditions; Holmfirth Jobs — a free services for local businesses to post job vacancies to help get local people into local jobs; Holmfirth Business News — promoting business events in the Holme Valley, like networking events, news and grants; Holmfirth and Huddersfield Craft Stalls — helping connect local craft stall holders with event organisers; and Holmfirth Buy or Sell — helping people sell
second-hand goods locally.

Jon added: “Kerry has also helped out local businesses before Christmas with the Holmfirth Hullabaloo, a fun local scheme to help get more people to shop locally, getting many of the businesses in Holmfirth to work together.

“She also set up and runs the #Holmfirthhour on Twitter to help connect residents and businesses together which she does each Sunday night because of her love for Holmfirth!

“I am so impressed with the dedication Kerry has shown to Holmfirth by her unstinting support for the local community and local businesses. The Holmfirth Events ‘one stop shop’ website was a well-needed service for the Holme Valley, and has been really well supported by the community.”

Yvonne Radcliffe added: “Kerry has brought our community together — she liaises with all sorts of groups and promotes all businesses in the Holme Valley.”

Kerry is married to Wayne and the couple live at Hade Edge with their three daughters Lucy, 10, Freya, 5, and Ruby, 4.

She has just been appointed vice-chairman of the enterprise and development committee of Holmfirth Business Association.

Category sponsor

Myers Group logo
Myers Group logo

Established in 1929, The Myers Group is a traditional group of companies, solely owned and run by the Myers family in Huddersfield for four generations.

Originally trading within the construction industry with supply of readymixed concrete and building materials, the group more recently expanded into the retail and DIY market with the supply of quality kitchens and bathrooms.

Black & yellow Readymix concrete mixer vehicles have been supplying concrete throughout the town and beyond for more than 50 years.

The group includes Johnsons Wellfield at Crosland Hill providing natural Yorkstone paving which lines most of the town centre pavements including St George’s Square, Naylor Myers kitchen and bathroom showroom in Brighouse, Myers Build & DIY at Crosland Hill, Myers Timber and Myers Skip Hire.

The Myers Group is committed to the local community and economy, not only by providing stable employment and locally sourced products, but by actively supporting local charities and community events wherever possible.