Tributes to youth leader

Nearly 200 well-wishers, including schoolchildren and police officers, packed into Gornal Crematorium for the funeral of a much-loved youth leader.

Rajpal Singh worked at the Lower Gornal Youth Academy in Temple Street for four years before collapsing in the street near his Wednesbury home a fortnight ago.

The 50-year-old stepdad was a popular figure among youngsters in Gornal – and there is now talk after his death of creating an award for youth volunteers in his name.

It was standing room only at his funeral yesterday as nearly 200 crammed into the Chase Road crematorium, with some forced to wait outside. Ken Finch, chairman of the academy, paid tribute to the man known as Raj. "He was such a likeable chap, everyone who met Raj never forgot him," Mr Finch said.

"As a youth leader he encountered a lot of problems, but thrived on solving them and the youngsters around here loved him and had a massive amount of respect for him.

"This is the sort of person we can ill-afford to lose, so important was he to the community. He also became a personal friend of mine and will be sorely missed."

Ward councillor Anne Millward said the turnout at Mr Singh's funeral was a fitting tribute to his life.

"It has been very upsetting this past fortnight since we heard the news," she said. "Everything that man touched turned to gold and he did so much for the youth around here. He was a driving force behind Lower Gornal becoming an academy.

"I used to come here as a youngster and I come here now and there is not a better place like it in the country. A lot of that is down to him," she added.

"There is now talk of creating a Raj Singh Award for young volunteers in the Gornal area, which I think would be a fantastic and fitting tribute to his memory."

Mr Singh, originally from Tividale, lived in Wednesbury with partner Sue. He also had a stepson.

Before working at Lower Gornal Mr Singh was a youth worker at the Meadow Road centre in Wrens Nest.