A LOSTOCK man's charity work has been recognised in the 1996 Whitbread Volunteer Action Awards.

Derek Gaskell, the builder who founded BASIC - the Brain and Spinal Injuries charity - is commended for his "outstanding contribution" to the community.

Derek has been raising funds for the region's neurosurgical units since 1983 when his wife Dorothy was successfully treated after a brain haemorrhage.

He has raised more than £500,000 for research and equipment for the neurosurgical unit at Hope Hospital. His commitment to improving the chances of survival and his dedication has made a difference to the lives of hundreds of people.

Derek is one of many individuals and groups put forward for this year's Whitbread and Make a Difference Volunteering Awards - a joint venture between the Whitbread Volunteer Action Awards, which recognise individual volunteers and the Government's Make a Difference Awards, which recognise the work of volunteering groups. The Whitbread Volunteer Action Awards have been running for 14 years and attracted hundreds of nominations annually from supporters of Britain's 21 million volunteers. Make a Difference is a major Government initiative launched in 1994 to promote voluntary involvement in the community and ensure that voluntary activity continues to be seen as an essential and enduring feature of modern society.

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