An inspirational Rossendale boy continues to defy the odds in order to support a local radio station.

Despite having down syndrome and autism, James Partington-Duerden is taking on a three-mile dog walk to raise money for Rossendale Community Radio.  

The station, based in Rawtenstall, relies on community donations of almost £5,000 every year to ensure it can keep supporting residents throughout the local area.

The Waterfoot boy, 11, has already raised more than £2,300 with the walk set to take place on August 24.

He will be walking from the centre of Waterfoot, down the main road to Bacup, and then all the way to the Buffer Stops, before finishing at the studio in Rawtenstall.

Mum Dorrie Partington said: “I’m extremely proud of him, nothing stops this kid.

“He has all these hurdles that he is going to have to get through in his life.

"He can’t speak and he is very young mentally, but he just takes it all in his stride.”

The Rossendale community is equally as proud of him with James regularly receiving honks of support from passing traffic and local horse riders allowing him to stroke their animals.

Volunteer coordinator at Rossendale Radio, Paul Jenkins, said: “He is an absolute inspiration to all of us.

“He works hard, he has got the same challenges as many other people, but it has never let him stop him and he is doing a marvellous thing for us too, so we are always eternally grateful to him.”

James is a huge fan of the station, which Dorrie presents on, and he gets particularly excited when his favourite song Uptown Funk appears on air.

Whilst the station is a central part of the community it is entirely volunteer-led and survives on grants from the National Lottery and local advertisers – alongside donations raised through fundraisers.

It regularly supports the community through broadcasting events and reaching out to the people who struggle with loneliness throughout the borough - with many using it as a hub and a way to contact one another.

Mr Jenkins added: “No matter who you are or where you come from in the community, you get a voice. I think that is something that is important to help communities tick over.

“Inclusivity is a massive part of what we do, and we want to reach every single area of our community if we can.”

It also provides a space for Dorrie, alongside all the other presenters, to work on themselves and relax from the stresses of everyday life.

Dorrie added: “It helps my mental health. I have been here for four years now as a presenter, and it has been one of the best things I've ever done more so for the community and the feedback we get from listeners.

“I want to take the opportunity to thank every single person who has donated. It means so much to us as a family.

“And the family, the staff at the school are all extremely proud of him and we would just like to thank everybody for their support.”

Additionally, the station provides essential services to young people who are interested in getting into the industry, and also those living with disabilities with support from Paralympian swimmer Tom Hamer who is a regular feature on the station.

James’ walk is part of a campaign known as Active in August with the station intent on meeting with a number of local sports teams and athletes.

To donate to the walk. visit James' Sponsored Dog Walk 2024 on GoFundMe.