Cabinet minister makes special visit to local charity

Reporters: Stuart Littleford & Aimee Belmore

A BUSY Cabinet minister made a special visit to Saddleworth last month to support a dedicated fundraising dad in Delph.

Liz Truss – Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor until Parliament was dissolved for the General Election – stopped by at Gatehead Business Park to see Bryn Hughes.

Bryn set up the PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund after his daughter was killed on duty in 2012, along with PC Fiona Bone, by Dale Cregan.

Over the years, Bryn has raised thousands of pounds to support families of murdered police officers thanks to sponsored golf days, running the North Pole Marathon, bike rides and an annual charity ball.

He has previously met with Ms Truss to discuss the justice system but this was her first chance to look around their office at the Park, where his team has been based for two years.

Bryn, who dedicates around 50 hours a week to the charity, explained: “We co-ordinate all our charity work and events from here, which take us across the country and the world.

“We want to signpost what we do and increase awareness. We might only be small scale but we can make a huge difference to individual people.

“If a young person has lost a parent and has had three months off school, imagine how far behind they get. We could give them an Ipad to help and it makes a huge impact.

“From what I have been through, we understand each other. We don’t need to sit and explain things to each other and that is a good start.”

Bryn was supported by Richard Bartlett, a trustee for the charity, and well as Saddleworth Parish Councillor Jamie Curley, and Oldham East and Saddleworth parliamentary candidate Kashif Ali.

Ms Truss said: “Sometimes the justice system can be clinical and impersonal. We are working, with people like Bryn, on how to go about changing that.

Liz Truss

“I wanted to come here to support Bryn and the wonderful work he is doing, as well as to support Kashif in the upcoming election.

“We have to make sure victims have a voice and aren’t drowned out by the system. Everyone’s needs are different and we need to make sure we meet those.

“They need to understand what services they can access, what to expect and how to make it happen. It is by working together that we can really help people in the same situation.”

Ms Truss said of standing for re-election as the Conservative Party  candidate for South West Norfolk in the June 9 election: “I am working hard. You can never be complacent.”

She added: “Theresa May is the right person to lead us through Brexit and beyond, and secure the best deals for the country.

“We are looking to build a really stable future for towns and cities like Oldham, and the whole country, and bring in jobs and a steady economy.”

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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