A COMMUNITY spirited Dorchester man who supports young carers will have the best possible start to the New Year.

Paul Chick, picked up an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list in honour of his tireless work in the local community.

He set up the Friends of Dorset Young Carers after being inspired by his own family’s experiences as 16-year-old daughter Katie suffers from Angelman syndrome.

Paul’s older daughters Lucy and Amy both experienced life as young carers and Paul set up the group to offer young carers a sense of normality by offering days out such as trips to the theatre or visits to London as well as general support.

He said: “We had to learn to look after Katie as carers in the community and as she got older we learned an awful lot from everybody in Dorset and we received really good help from local services.

“As time went on we just wanted to try and put that into practice and help others.”

Paul, 53, a business manager with Dorset Police, also set up a support group for carers with the police force and has been running karting sessions for youngsters at Clay Pigeon Raceway for around 20 years.

He also now cares for his wife Deby, who had what was believed to be a stroke before Christmas and he is now caring for her.

On receiving his MBE, Paul said: “I felt quite humbled really.”