Award Presented in Campaigner's Honour

29 October 2010

A Glyndŵr University student has received an inaugural award named in honour of a disabled rights campaigner from Wrexham who died earlier this year.

Claire Venables collected the first Emmett Roberts Award for her work with people who have come into contact with social care services in north Wales.

Emmett Roberts was an active campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities and played an instrumental role in establishing direct payments in Wrexham, support for people using social care services to receive payments from their local authority.

He was also a founding member of Outside In, a service user and participation group based at Glyndŵr University, set up to help social work students understand the viewpoint and concerns of service users. Claire, a social work graduate, was chosen to receive the award from a shortlist of students nominated by fellow students, lecturers and social work practitioners.

Liz Lefroy, service user and carer coordinator at Glyndŵr University, said: “We wanted a way of remembering Emmett and thought it would be fitting to present an annual award to a student who embodied his drive, determination and passion to support service users.
“Claire has strong values and has always shown empathy towards service users and is a worthy recipient of the first Emmett Roberts Award.”

Emmett first became involved with the BA Social Work degree programme when it was introduced at Glyndŵr University more than four years ago.

He was a well-known and respected member of many disability organisations in Wrexham and north east Wales and gave talks and workshops to students on the social work degree.

Liz added: “The advice which Emmett used to pass on to students was invaluable. He was a man of courage and integrity who would not tolerate injustice towards people with disabilities. “Emmett worked within organisations and systems, but never lost sight of his aim - to make the world physically, culturally and organisationally a better place for people with disabilities.

“He is still missed tremendously around the university but we are pleased to have been able to honour the impact which he had through this award.”

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