AS SHE poses for her photograph, Leanne Wilkinson looks slightly nervous. The 34-year-old has just earned an award in the Individuals Who Have Made A Difference category at the North-East Equality Awards and, while she is thrilled at the recognition, she is a little taken aback by all the fuss.

Leanne received the prize for her voluntary work with the homeless in Middlesbrough, and for her achievements as a Gypsy Roma Traveller worker at the Newton Aycliffebased charity Disc (Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities). Yet, for Leanne, who is nothing if not humble, her inspiring efforts, both at work and in her spare time, are simply a way of life.

Leanne has been helping the homeless since she was 13, when her late father, Walter Wilkinson, founded a charity called the North-East Help Link Trust.

Initially, Mr Wilkinson and a team of volunteers, including Leanne’s late mother, Anne, served free soup to the homeless in Newcastle on a Saturday night, but this soon spread to other North-East town. A ten-bedroom hostel was also opened in Stockton. Eventually, demand was so great that Mr Wilkinson gave up his job as an insurance broker and devoted himself to the charity and church commitments.

As a teenager, Leanne regularly helped the cause and, apart from a short break following her father’s death 11 years ago, she has volunteered ever since. Come rain or shine, the former Tudhoe Grange pupil spends Sunday night at Station Street car park in Middlesbrough providing hot drinks, food and clothing to the homeless. She has even set up her own charity, Life Line Christian Ministry, and has a team of volunteers who prepare the food and help with the distribution.

“I would not know what to do with myself on a Sunday night if I didn’t do it,”

says Leanne. “I really enjoy it and find it very rewarding. You do encounter a few aggressive people but the majority are happy to see you and really appreciate what you are doing.”

Leanne’s desire to help others is also reflected in her work for Disc. The charity focuses on deprivation and offers support in a range of areas, including health, children and young people, families, housing, disability services, criminal justice and drug and alcohol misuse. Leanne focuses on gypsy, Roma and traveller communities in County Durham and, over the past three years, she has gained the trust of a notoriously guarded group. The role has seen Leanne identify and address the many areas of discrimination travellers face.

By breaking down barriers, she has improved access to vital services such as health, education, welfare benefits and leisure facilities. She also offers a unique home visit service and is one of only a handful of people welcomed on various sites throughout the county.

“I would say it took a good six to nine months before they would even speak to me,” says Leanne. “But now that I have gained their trust, I am made to feel very welcome. I even get called ‘our Leanne.’ Through her relationships, Leanne provides support to older people, pregnant women and those with mental health and alcohol and drug problems.

She also liaises with the police and other agencies to promote better relationships and quash negative stereotypes.

“You find many travellers are put off seeking basic services because they are afraid of experiencing negative attitudes,”

she says. “Others have literacy problems and are worried about filling in long or complex forms.

“I come across a lot of families who are not registered with a GP and children who have never seen a dentist.”

LEANNE is passionate about her work, but admits it was never her intended career path. “I wanted to be an oceanographer but I didn’t get the grades,” she says.

“To be honest I wasn’t the best student at school. I really struggled and I came out with one GCSE.”Leanne refuses to allow her lack of qualifications to hold her back and is convinced hard work and determination will always pay off.

After leaving school, she tried several jobs, but none captured her imagination.

She volunteered with her father and when a role came up for a session worker at Disc, ten years ago, she decided to apply. Since then, Leanne has worked her way up the ranks and could not be happier.

“It is a pleasure to come to work every day,” she says. “It is wonderful to know we are making a difference.”