A Burnley teenager has secured an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) and a place at Burnley College after receiving support through Lancashire County Council's Champions programme.

The scheme, which sees seven county councillors champion key community causes across Lancashire, has awarded almost £70,000 to local organisations and projects over the past year while helping residents access vital support and services.

Among those to benefit is Farrah, from East Lancashire, who lives with her grandmother, Linda Bateson. The family had spent years trying to secure an EHCP – a legal document that outlines the educational support a young person with additional needs is entitled to receive.

However, after being introduced to Lancashire County Council's Young People's Champion, County Coun. Mackenzie Ritson, significant progress was made within months.

Mackenzie Ritson, Champion for young people, with Farrah and her grandparents Linda and Nigel

placeholder image — Mackenzie Ritson, Champion for young people, with Farrah and her grandparents Linda and Nigel

Linda said: “Our Champion, Mackenzie, has done leaps and bounds for us, he really has. What he's got done in three, four months from when we started it, we couldn't even get done in 10 years.

“We finally got the EHCP thanks to a lot of help from Kenzie and we really appreciate it.”

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As well as helping Farrah secure the plan, Coun. Ritson also supported her application to Burnley College, helping to open up new educational opportunities.

The success story comes as Lancashire County Council revealed that its seven Champions have distributed £69,879 in grants between April 2025 and March 2026, supporting 90 community groups and organisations across the county.

Each Champion is allocated a £10,000 annual fund to support projects, activities and services in their specialist area, while also working closely with local communities to identify where help is most needed.

The current Champions are Gary Kniveton (Armed Forces and Veterans), Ellie Close (Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls), Gaynor Hargreaves (Disabled People), Jordan Fox (Mental Health), Janet Schofield (Older People), James Tomlinson (Rural Communities and Parishes) and Mackenzie Ritson (Young People).

Funding has supported a wide range of initiatives aimed at tackling social isolation, improving health and wellbeing and strengthening community connections across Lancashire.

Coun. Ritson said helping young people overcome barriers to education remains a key priority, with support tailored to individual circumstances and needs.