TWO 'CHAMPIONS' VISIT NUMBER 10

Two "community champions" from Keighley - hailed for their efforts in tackling inequality and bringing sport to the community - have met Prime Minister Gordon Brown, at 10 Downing Street.  Ash Alom, development and training officer for Keighley Voluntary Services, and Steve Bell, the Oakbank School Sport Partnership Development Manager, made the trip to London with Keighley MP Anne Cryer and :abour's prospective parliamentary candidate Jane Thomas.  Mr Bell manages a team of school sport co-ordinators, primary link teachers and further education sport co-ordinators in the Keighley and Ilkley area to create sporting oppportunities for all five-to-19-year-olds.  He said "I work with youngsters to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.  It is a hard job but it is rewarding, it is good to be a part of a team which helps to develop sporting opportunity across the Bradford District.  
"It was a great day, very enjoyable.  It was a pleasure to meet Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah, and talk about what we are doing and achieving in Keighley - they are very good people.  "Number 10 is absolutely huge insode and the history of all the rooms is fantastic".  Mr Alom is currently working on a project to encourage and empower black members and ethnic, young, old, racially disadvantaged and hard-to-reach groups to get involved in local decision making.  Mrs Thomas said: "In trying to wrestle with the problems of a few persistent young offenders we sometimes forget the valuable and positive work that is being done in our communitites.  "This is a small way of saying thank you to just two people who make a difference".