:00:00. > :00:00.And on BBC One, we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.
:00:00. > :00:00.Good evening and welcome to a special festive edition
:00:00. > :00:10.but we've got nothing but Christmas cheer.
:00:11. > :00:16.and the people who make the North West the great place it is.
:00:17. > :00:23.who's always there when she needs her most.
:00:24. > :00:28.She's like my guardian angel, like a little helper.
:00:29. > :00:36.We'll meet Ben Ashworth - his will to live is unshakeable
:00:37. > :00:40.as he's prepares for the Christmas he thought he might never see.
:00:41. > :00:42.I'm really, really looking forward to waking up
:00:43. > :00:50.with all my girls on Christmas Day and seeing their faces.
:00:51. > :00:58.as she says the one word her mum has waited 12 years to hear.
:00:59. > :01:05.# You who sang creation's glory now proclaim the Messiah's birth. #
:01:06. > :01:08.And there's the choir who spread the Christmas joy.
:01:09. > :01:30.Could one of them be our final Christmas Star?
:01:31. > :01:40.It is looking like and is Bristol evening, so stay with us.
:01:41. > :01:43.Forget about the wind, forget about the rain -
:01:44. > :01:45.Manchester Inspirational Voices gospel choir with us,
:01:46. > :02:02.# Let earth receive her King
:02:03. > :02:20.We will be hearing more from them at the end of the programme.
:02:21. > :02:23.It is the season for giving and your generosity is making
:02:24. > :02:28.a massive difference to young carers in Blackpool this Christmas.
:02:29. > :02:31.?1 million raised by Children in Need has been spent
:02:32. > :02:38.transforming Blackpool Carers Centre into an inspirational place to be.
:02:39. > :02:41.Tonight, it's hosting a Christmas party
:02:42. > :02:53.and our reporter, Ian Haslam, is there.
:02:54. > :03:01.Hello, welcome to the centre, where the party is in full flow. They have
:03:02. > :03:04.had the disco and a visit from Santa and the obligatory party food. We
:03:05. > :03:09.will meet some of them in a short while. Last year, this building was
:03:10. > :03:14.derelict and in disrepair. Thanks to your money and a lot of hard graft,
:03:15. > :03:19.it looks fantastic, as you can see. We will hear from some of these
:03:20. > :03:20.carers in eight short while. But first we hear from Dave Guest, who
:03:21. > :03:26.has the story of Chloe and Luke. Do not be afraid,
:03:27. > :03:27.God has shown you... Seven-year-old Luke's big moment
:03:28. > :03:29.as the angel Gabriel But it's his big sister, Chloe,
:03:30. > :03:42.who is the real-life angel in their family,
:03:43. > :03:44.according to Mum, Faye. She's like my little,
:03:45. > :03:46.like, guardian angel. Faye has epilepsy, which causes her
:03:47. > :03:51.to have frequent and often
:03:52. > :03:52.frightening seizures and fits. What did you think when you first
:03:53. > :03:55.saw her having a fit? I was really scared -
:03:56. > :03:58.I was, like, shaking. So if she has a fit
:03:59. > :04:01.now, what you do? You have to lay her down
:04:02. > :04:05.in a position so she doesn't choke, Dad works shifts, so it often falls
:04:06. > :04:15.to nine-year-old Chloe to deal with the situation
:04:16. > :04:17.when Mum has a seizure. She's really, really responsible
:04:18. > :04:23.and mature for her age. At school, Chloe and Luke
:04:24. > :04:31.get on with life like any other nine
:04:32. > :04:36.or seven-year-old. But teachers at Our Lady
:04:37. > :04:38.of the Assumption Primary in Blackpool realised
:04:39. > :04:40.the children would benefit And this is where Chloe and Luke
:04:41. > :04:45.get that extra help - It's possible the place looks
:04:46. > :04:50.familiar because it recently starred in a special edition
:04:51. > :04:56.of the BBC show DIY SOS. We have removed thousands of bricks,
:04:57. > :05:02.knocked out 16 doorways... The team took on their biggest
:05:03. > :05:04.project to date, transforming the derelict former health centre
:05:05. > :05:08.into a state-of-the-art haven for young carers to enjoy
:05:09. > :05:12.some "me" time. Everything in this
:05:13. > :05:15.building has a purpose, That's essentially the goal
:05:16. > :05:21.for this place, a home from home. and just know that there's people
:05:22. > :05:29.here to support you. At school, there's people
:05:30. > :05:31.all crowding around me. When I'm upset, they don't
:05:32. > :05:34.really understand. Well, it is hard for people
:05:35. > :05:36.to understand, isn't it, if they don't have
:05:37. > :05:38.to go through that? Like one of the times I got upset,
:05:39. > :05:48.my mum had had a fit, and I got upset because I got
:05:49. > :05:52.really worried about her. I suppose, though, if you're
:05:53. > :05:55.upset when you're here, other people here will know
:05:56. > :05:58.what it's like for you. I do think that especially Chloe
:05:59. > :06:04.is more open about things, and she does talk about things
:06:05. > :06:06.a little bit more. What would you really
:06:07. > :06:09.like for Christmas? I want a dressing gown
:06:10. > :06:11.that's way too big for me, and it will be more comfy,
:06:12. > :06:15.and I can grow into it. What would you like for
:06:16. > :06:18.your mum for Christmas? If you could have anything
:06:19. > :06:21.in the world, what would you want? And, as Christmas wishes go,
:06:22. > :06:45.that one's pretty special. Some truly inspirational stories
:06:46. > :06:47.everywhere here. Let's speak to one of the youngsters, playing this game
:06:48. > :06:55.with a snowman. How you getting on? Good. This is Margaret, who is
:06:56. > :07:02.seven. Who do you care for? My whole family. You are doing a great job.
:07:03. > :07:07.What do you want for Christmas? I am getting a laptop and a printer. Oh,
:07:08. > :07:13.that sounds good! Have a lovely Christmas. I am sure your mum is
:07:14. > :07:20.proud of you. This lady here is they, who is the young carers lead
:07:21. > :07:23.worker. Thank you for joining us. How much of a transformation has
:07:24. > :07:29.there been in 2016? We did not think that anything would happen like
:07:30. > :07:33.this. We are so lucky. Last year, we had a small building with an office
:07:34. > :07:37.and that was it, we could not do any respite sessions on-site, we had to
:07:38. > :07:42.do them in the community, which meant we were restricted. What does
:07:43. > :07:46.it mean for the youngsters at Christmas to have a place like this,
:07:47. > :07:50.they need this respite, don't they? It means so much because we don't
:07:51. > :07:57.get donations of presence and toys so children can choose things. We
:07:58. > :08:03.can have families in to provide food parcels. Here is the personal
:08:04. > :08:08.Christmas card from Lawrence the well above, the designer of the
:08:09. > :08:17.centre. We have two sisters here, aged ten
:08:18. > :08:22.and 11. Quickly, what do you want for Christmas? And Xbox. You two
:08:23. > :08:27.look after your mum, don't you? How vital is this place? I love coming
:08:28. > :08:33.here because it's a good place to make friends and the people that
:08:34. > :08:39.have gone through the same thing as me and stuff. It's nice. Are you
:08:40. > :08:50.having a great time at the party? Yes. Some of the kids have got
:08:51. > :08:57.presence. What have you got? I forgot. I can see what you got, you
:08:58. > :09:03.are Manchester United fan as well, aren't you? I got a football,
:09:04. > :09:09.because I'm a huge football fan. The man himself, Santa Claus. You have a
:09:10. > :09:15.big few nights ahead. As long as I keep to my diet of sherry and mince
:09:16. > :09:21.pies, I should be all right. Go easy on the sherry! That is it from me.
:09:22. > :09:32.Anyone want to say a big response? Happy Christmas! There you go.
:09:33. > :09:41.He's got them well organised, hasn't he? Happy Christmas to you all as
:09:42. > :09:46.well. We think you are having a great party.
:09:47. > :09:52.We went to town a little bit to night with this Christmas tree! Just
:09:53. > :09:59.to let you know we are in the spirit. It took us all to noon!
:10:00. > :10:02.There are some people who are in hospital or working, but for those
:10:03. > :10:04.who are unwell, it is a difficult time of year.
:10:05. > :10:06.One person who wasn't sure if he'd be here this Christmas
:10:07. > :10:09.is Ben Ashworth, a father with a young family,
:10:10. > :10:15.Ben's positivity has helped him defy his illness,
:10:16. > :10:19.and he has high hopes for the New Year.
:10:20. > :10:27.When Ben was told he had six months to live,
:10:28. > :10:30.his youngest daughter was just five months old.
:10:31. > :10:36.Now she's at school and the family is preparing
:10:37. > :10:37.to spend another precious Christmas together.
:10:38. > :10:39.I'm just really, really looking forward to waking up
:10:40. > :10:43.with all my girls on Christmas Day and just seeing their faces.
:10:44. > :10:47.I really want for them to have a lovely, lovely time.
:10:48. > :10:50.There's some statistics that suggest you've got a 6% chance of living
:10:51. > :10:56.five years with stage four bowel cancer, and I'm almost there.
:10:57. > :10:57.So celebrating another Christmas with my family,
:10:58. > :11:02.Since his diagnosis, Ben's thrown himself into running -
:11:03. > :11:05.completing 24 marathons in 24 months to raise money and awareness
:11:06. > :11:11.Knowing that, one day, my cancer is probably
:11:12. > :11:14.going to kill me is hard but, at the same time, it motivates me
:11:15. > :11:17.because I want to do as much as I can, I think,
:11:18. > :11:23.but we've had so many opportunities to do things.
:11:24. > :11:30.a strength that he puts down in part to his Christian faith.
:11:31. > :11:33.I felt full of love and I always felt that came from God.
:11:34. > :11:37.Having an illness has held me to reconnect with my faith.
:11:38. > :11:42.God has given me the tools I need to cope with any situation.
:11:43. > :11:48.but I feel he led me to exercise in a way.
:11:49. > :11:51.Exercising and staying strong, I think, has really helped me.
:11:52. > :11:55.And he's given me the tools I needed to cope.
:11:56. > :11:57.Do you think it's going to snow at Christmas time?
:11:58. > :12:01.For now, a family Christmas is the priority,
:12:02. > :12:05.but there is another New Year's wish on the horizon for Ben.
:12:06. > :12:08.I'm not going anywhere yet, and I've got so many...
:12:09. > :12:22.You know, I would love to run a spring marathon in 2017.
:12:23. > :12:24.You know, I've just started running again and I feel
:12:25. > :12:29.I want my girls to know that I wasn't ever beaten by my disease.
:12:30. > :12:32.That my spirit endured, that I tried to live my life around that.
:12:33. > :12:36.I just want to show them that you can find good things
:12:37. > :12:55.We wish them all the best. We will keep our fingers crossed for that
:12:56. > :13:00.marathon next spring. He is a truly inspirational man.
:13:01. > :13:03.This is pretty much the last day for a lot of people work wise.
:13:04. > :13:06.For many people, tonight marks the start of the Christmas holidays.
:13:07. > :13:08.Time off work to spend with friends and family.
:13:09. > :13:13.But spare a though for the people who work through the festive break.
:13:14. > :13:20.As you can see, we've come outside. We have a fine bit of hardware,
:13:21. > :13:21.which we might have beaten off. People like the volunteers
:13:22. > :13:24.from the North West Blood Bikes. There are 350 of them who deliver
:13:25. > :13:27.emergency blood to hospitals - outside office hours -
:13:28. > :13:31.at no cost to the NHS. And Paul Brooks set
:13:32. > :13:40.the charity up in 2012. You established yourselves, took the
:13:41. > :13:45.cost away from the NHS, all self funded. How many call-outs did you
:13:46. > :13:50.do? 800. How many have you done in four yes? We're just coming up to
:13:51. > :13:56.30,000. So this has been fairly successful? I think so, yes. Way
:13:57. > :14:00.beyond our wildest dreams. And many lives saved thanks to you?
:14:01. > :14:08.Hopefully, yes. We have only got some of you here
:14:09. > :14:13.tonight. I have been a motorcyclist for 30 years, and being able to ride
:14:14. > :14:16.one of these to put something back into the community, it is so
:14:17. > :14:21.special. You will have helped so many people, I'm sure. You helped
:14:22. > :14:25.set this up with Paul all that time ago and I believe you have something
:14:26. > :14:31.special you want to say to him. Indeed. What the charity has done
:14:32. > :14:35.and achieved in the last 4.5 years is incredible, and it is down to the
:14:36. > :14:42.volunteers that we have got, and we have over 300 controllers, not just
:14:43. > :14:44.riders, fundraisers and everything. But it is the drive and
:14:45. > :14:53.determination and passion about German. -- of our chairman. You have
:14:54. > :15:00.got something special for him that regular viewers will know all about.
:15:01. > :15:04.You are a Christmas star winner. Well done. We have given some out in
:15:05. > :15:09.the last few weeks, but no more deserving than you. Thank you so
:15:10. > :15:15.much. What can I say? They are a great bunch will. You deserve it and
:15:16. > :15:20.they obviously feel that you do. Keep up the good work. Enjoy your
:15:21. > :15:27.Christmas. That is in your eyes say it all. Thank you.
:15:28. > :15:29.A few weeks ago, when we started the Christmas Stars,
:15:30. > :15:35.we asked you for your good news stories.
:15:36. > :15:37.Lots of you got in touch, including Kathryn McComas.
:15:38. > :15:40.She contacted us to tell us about her daughter, Melissa.
:15:41. > :15:44.When Melissa was born, doctors said she would never be able to talk.
:15:45. > :15:53.2016 was the year for Melissa's little miracle.
:15:54. > :15:59.RECORDED VOICE: Nice to meet you, Annabel.
:16:00. > :16:01.13-year-old Melissa from St Helens communicates
:16:02. > :16:08.When she was diagnosed at three years old with Angelman syndrome,
:16:09. > :16:11.doctors told her mum she would probably never speak.
:16:12. > :16:14.And she didn't, until March this year.
:16:15. > :16:19.When, out of the blue, she said her very first word - "Mama".
:16:20. > :16:26.Just thought I'd misheard what she said.
:16:27. > :16:29.I sort of looked at her and my phone was sitting next to me.
:16:30. > :16:32.So I picked that up and pressed record and said,
:16:33. > :16:37."Say what you just said again for Mummy."
:16:38. > :16:40.And she said it again, which was quite amazing.
:16:41. > :16:45.She probably astounded herself, really, when she said it,
:16:46. > :16:48.and then she must've thought, "Oh, I'll do that again!"
:16:49. > :16:54.I mean, it's a small thing but, for you...
:16:55. > :17:00.I mean, some people might just say,
:17:01. > :17:03."Fine. And? There's nothing remarkable about that."
:17:04. > :17:09.But it is, it is really a huge, huge thing.
:17:10. > :17:11.So what are your hopes now for the future?
:17:12. > :17:15.I just want to give Melissa the best life she can possibly have,
:17:16. > :17:22.with any advantages that any technology can give.
:17:23. > :17:31.And just say she loves me one day, would be really nice.
:17:32. > :17:39.RECORDED VOICE: Merry Christmas, everybody.
:17:40. > :17:46.Merry Christmas to Melissa and her family. She was so lovely.
:17:47. > :17:49.Time for the last of this year's Christmas Stars.
:17:50. > :17:51.Christmas is often a time for families
:17:52. > :17:56.But for some it can be a very lonely time.
:17:57. > :18:00.That's where the Nether Alderley Carol Singers come in.
:18:01. > :18:04.they've not only sung at people's doors,
:18:05. > :18:19.to meet the carol singers making a difference.
:18:20. > :18:31.# In heaven the bells are ringing... #
:18:32. > :18:33.These carol singers don't just go door to door.
:18:34. > :18:43.There was an old lady on her own, we turned up on her doormat,
:18:44. > :18:45.we sang carols and she said, "Please, please, come in.
:18:46. > :18:47.Come in, I never have anyone in my house."
:18:48. > :18:51."Don't worry about mud on your boots, just come in,
:18:52. > :18:53.I just want to have you in my house."
:18:54. > :18:56.And that just gave us the idea of having carol singing
:18:57. > :19:01.I've nominated Jenny, quite simply, because she is the one
:19:02. > :19:04.that put in all the hard work for the organising
:19:05. > :19:08.About ten years ago, it started to wane and Jenny volunteered.
:19:09. > :19:11.She said, "I will do all the organising of the houses
:19:12. > :19:15.If it hadn't have been for Jenny, we wouldn't be here today.
:19:16. > :19:18.So it's thanks to her that we been able to continue
:19:19. > :19:24.The St Mary's singers have also raised over ?25,000 for charity.
:19:25. > :19:31.I've not been totally honest here with my friend, Jenny.
:19:32. > :19:34.In recognition of all the time and effort that you have put in
:19:35. > :19:39.over the last 20 years or so, we would like to present you with
:19:40. > :19:42.this BBC North West Today Christmas Star.
:19:43. > :19:58.No, not even a glimmer of suspicion at all.
:19:59. > :20:01.They kept it from me very, very well.
:20:02. > :20:03.It will have pride of place on my mantelpiece.
:20:04. > :20:10.# Good tidings we bring to you and your king
:20:11. > :20:24.# We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. #
:20:25. > :20:29.Beautiful sound and congratulations to Jenny. We have got our own choir
:20:30. > :20:35.coming up in just a moment, but the weather has been a talking point
:20:36. > :20:40.today. Storm Barbara has gone, but what is the forecast looking like?
:20:41. > :20:47.We do have more difficult weather in the next couple of days. It looks
:20:48. > :20:51.wet and windy. Storm Barbara worked through the region and most places
:20:52. > :20:54.were not affected too badly but we did have some high sided vehicles
:20:55. > :21:00.blown over. We had tree branches down on cars. On the Isle of Man,
:21:01. > :21:04.they made the best of the bad situation. The ways were tall enough
:21:05. > :21:09.for most people, and surfing conditions were not brilliant. But
:21:10. > :21:13.you make a while the sunshine is or not is the case may be. As we go
:21:14. > :21:16.through the next couple of days, the Christmas forecast is very
:21:17. > :21:23.unsettled. Wet and windy. This is the picture earlier, two lines of
:21:24. > :21:26.rain that moved through the region, torrential downpours in places. We
:21:27. > :21:34.have seen the back of that and seen the winds starting to ease off. It
:21:35. > :21:40.should get better. It stays a blustery night. Not as bad as to the
:21:41. > :21:44.day, but still a notable feature. For most places, dry and clear. One
:21:45. > :21:49.or two showers will pepper in throughout the morning. This keeps
:21:50. > :21:53.the temperatures at around five or six for towns and cities. Perhaps
:21:54. > :21:59.down to two Celsius in the countryside. Another wild and windy
:22:00. > :22:03.one on Christmas Eve. Not as bad as the day, squally showers working
:22:04. > :22:07.through. Over the tops of the hills, there may be some sleet but that is
:22:08. > :22:10.the exception rather than the rule because the temperatures will be
:22:11. > :22:15.very mild, with sunshine popping up every now and again. But that is in
:22:16. > :22:20.short supply was the tail end of the day, you can see the rain start to
:22:21. > :22:29.get its act together. A brainy one, a show -- a brainy one, some
:22:30. > :22:33.showers, and a glimmer of sunshine. Into Christmas Day, the rain keeps
:22:34. > :22:37.coming. Overnight temperatures around eight or 9 degrees. As we
:22:38. > :22:41.pushed through and get up on Christmas morning, we are under
:22:42. > :22:44.another yellow warning for the more northern part of the region, the
:22:45. > :22:50.Isle of Man, Cumbria and Lancashire. Once again, with rain coming
:22:51. > :22:58.through, more really strong winds humming through. 50 or 60 mph in
:22:59. > :23:05.gusts. You could have 12 or 13 degrees. Boxing Day, still blustery
:23:06. > :23:08.but things will settle down. As you go through Tuesday and Wednesday and
:23:09. > :23:15.the rest of next week, the high pressure returns. Back to you.
:23:16. > :23:21.Could be a good day for getting up for a Boxing Day walk.
:23:22. > :23:28.I don't like a mild Christmas! It is not cold enough!
:23:29. > :23:32.Over the past few weeks we've heard some inspirational stories
:23:33. > :23:38.about people who really make a difference to other people's lives
:23:39. > :23:47.We started giving out our Christmas Stars in December a few years ago.
:23:48. > :23:57.this year, we've had more suggestions than ever.
:23:58. > :24:02.We try to mention as many as he could. We could not mention them
:24:03. > :24:03.all. MUSIC: Merry Christmas Everyone
:24:04. > :24:06.by Shakin' Stevens We all love you,
:24:07. > :24:10.and you really are a Christmas Star. I kind of don't need this award
:24:11. > :24:15.because you're all so lovely! # Time for parties
:24:16. > :24:30.and celebrations... # You've won a BBC North West
:24:31. > :24:34.Tonight Christmas Star. Well done, we're all
:24:35. > :24:36.very proud of you. # Time for presents
:24:37. > :24:41.and exchanging kisses... # # We're going to have
:24:42. > :25:20.a party tonight... # I'm going to miss those! We will
:25:21. > :25:23.have our first full programme in January. Lessons throughout the
:25:24. > :25:29.period of course. And from all the team here
:25:30. > :25:32.to you wherever you are tonight, We'll leave you with
:25:33. > :25:35.Manchester Inspirational Voices gospel choir singing O Come All Ye
:25:36. > :25:37.Faithful. Christmas is about family.
:25:38. > :28:08.I'll have that. Let's get this Christmas party
:28:09. > :28:25.started! Oh, my...
:28:26. > :28:50.Dai! Your gays have arrived.