This holiday hero helped residents swap their tower block for the bright lights of Blackpool by organising a trip away.

Eddie Kell is determined to make life as fun as possible for pensioners in Denton Park House, and he dedicates himself to organising holidays and social events.  The 67-year-old set up the tenants’ association four years ago and still runs it in the role of secretary for the group in West Denton, Newcastle. He has just returned from a trip to Lytham St Anne’s, near Blackpool, where he took 48 tenants for a five-day holiday.

Earlier this month he organised a restaurant evening for 75 people from Denton Park House, and raised all the money to pay for it too.

“I have close contact with everyone,” said Eddie, a former oil rig worker, who lives with wife Sheila, 72, and enjoys spending time with son Warren, 42, and granddaughters Jessica, 16, and Lucy, 11.

“We have meetings every week and we have about five or six functions a year. When I moved here seven years ago, I could see there was a need for a closer community to get people more involved.”

Denton Park House resident Maria Holland nominated him for the award and said he is “the most caring neighbour” she has ever met.  She said:

 “Eddie is the kind of person who will always help you out, night or day for anything.

“He is always cheerful and has a kind word for everyone. He is as the centre of everything good in Denton Park