Solar King Pride of St Helens Award

Tony Richards is a flamboyant character, with a liking for snappy suits, multi-coloured ties, matching scarves... and seeing his ambitious vision move from the drawing board into reality.

The self styled ‘social entrepreneur’ conceived and achieved the hugely successful Millennium Centre and was awarded the MBE in 2007 in recognition for his work in the voluntary sector in St Helens.

Tony, 70, from Windle, helped found Willowbrook Hospice and is chairman of the St Helens and District Blind Society.

His time as chief officer of St Helens and Knowsley Community Health Council helped drive him in his desire to build the Millennium Centre.

The centre unites various volunteer and social services under one roof with the aim of tackling the root cause of problems faced by vulnerable people.

Martin Murray, who was the Pride of St Helens Sportsperson of the Year 2012, travelled to Argentina in the spring to face esteemed WBC champion Sergio Martinez in his own back yard.

Few gave the 31-year-old middleweight boxer a hope but, despite the hostile crowd in Atlético Vélez Sarsfield football stadium, he took the veteran the distance, with only some harsh judging controversially denying the St Helens lad the belt.

Reporting on the fight at the time, Star sports editor Mike Critchley wrote: “Quite simply Murray produced the fight of his life.”
Martin, whose reputation has soared nationally and internationally, is a father-of-three who is committed to mentoring youngsters from St Helens communities and advising them to steer clear from trouble and avoid the mistakes that hindered his career as a young man.

Willowbrook Hospice is arguably the town’s most loved charity. It was established in 1993 by a group of local people to raise funds to build and run a specialist palliative care unit.

Since the hospice opened in 1997, it has cared for more than 6,000 patients. Over the years its services have grown so much that it now receives more than 850 patient referrals a year.

Willowbrook aims to improve the lives of people who have a life-limiting or terminal illness, helping them to live well before they die. However, although providing care for patients at the end of their life, statistics show that more than 50 per cent of in-patients are discharged back to their preferred place of care, usually home.

The hospice is governed by a board of trustees, chaired by Lady Pilkington and run on a day-to-day basis by Neil Wright, the chief executive, an experienced management team, more than 90 staff and over 430 volunteers.

The hospice could not function without the valuable contribution of its volunteers.