Readers' letters - April 22

Hello, I’m Gaby Roslin and I would like to appeal to your readers to give some very special children and caring professionals in your area the recognition they deserve. You can do this by nominating them for the 2016 WellChild Awards, in association with GSK, before the May 2 deadline.

As an ambassador for national children’s charity WellChild, I have been honoured to host the awards and see the support they bring to many truly inspirational children and young people in the UK who live with serious illnesses. The WellChild Awards is a fantastic way of celebrating the bravery they show and is unique in also honouring their wonderful siblings, friends, doctors, nurses, caring professionals and community teams who tirelessly make such a positive difference to their lives. This year I would urge you to particularly think about any professional you could nominate, such as a physiotherapist, doctor, social worker, who has worked above and beyond for children and young people in their care. And also any caring child who devotes much of their time and energy freely and lovingly to care for a friend or sibling who is sick.

We need as many people as possible from across the UK to put forward a child or young person whose bravery in coping with their condition is an inspiration.

We also want to hear about the work of those amazing carers and professionals.

Having hosted the WellChild Awards, I have seen for myself how the families involved gain such great enjoyment and encouragement from the event.

It’s a wonderful, warm experience they never forget.

I am sure many of your readers know people who fit into the WellChild Award categories, and I would ask anyone who would like to recognise those people to nominate them now by looking at the charity’s website www.wellchild.org.uk or by calling 0845 458 8171.

The winners will be selected in May and will be invited along with their nominator to attend the WellChild Awards ceremony later in the year, where celebrity guests and supporters will be there to congratulate them personally.

If your readers know someone suitable please go ahead and vote – show them just how special you think they are.

Thank you for your help.

Gaby Roslin

WellChild Ambassador

trade unions

An attack on democracy

Earlier this year I wrote about the Government’s attack on democracy contained in the Trade Union Bill, calling on the Government to drop their unfair proposals.

Now the House of Lords has debated the Bill, and the Government was defeated three times over on key parts of the Bill.

Peers have sent a clear message that the Government has got it wrong and should think again.

Even with the Lords’ improvements, the Trade Union Bill remains both an attack on democracy, loading the dice in the Tories’ favour, and an attack on working people’s voice at work, changing the balance of power in the workplace.

Now the Bill heads back to the Commons, it is over to our Members of Parliament once again. I urge them to listen to the House of Lords, and vote to keep their amendments in place.

And I can only hope the Government takes the opportunity, before it is too late, to drop the whole sorry mess.

Maurice George

Ormskirk