Difficult childhood inspires man's charity mission

Brian Barker has made a "huge difference" to children's lives including Shona, who is pictured above

A man who was abandoned weeks after his birth has made it his mission to help children who are facing childhood trauma.

Brian Barker, now in his 60s, offers free fishing sessions to children across Somerset who are facing challenges such as cancer, poverty, or difficult family circumstances.

Every week, Mr Barker, from Bridgwater, runs the classes aimed at helping children find peace and purpose through fishing.

His says his inspiration came following a childhood filled with hardship after he was abandoned at Cheddar Church two weeks after his birth: "I want these kids to have what I never did: love, encouragement, someone to believe in them."

Born a triplet in a Bath workhouse to an underage mother, Mr Barker was abandoned early in life and passed through a series of foster homes before entering the care of Barnardo's.

There, he faced frequent relocations and struggled with education due to his undiagnosed dyslexia.

He now channels that experience into mentoring children.

Mr Barker said Finley was overjoyed with tears when he caught a 10lb (4.5kg) carp

One of them is Finley, a boy who has both bone and blood cancer.

After struggling to catch a fish, Finley followed Mr Barker's advice and landed a 10lb (4.5kg) carp.

Mr Barker said: "He hugged me [and] smiled through tears."

Then there's Shona, who is 17 and has autism. She first met Mr Barker through a school programme and now fishes with him weekly.

"She's always smiling. Her family says I've made a huge difference," he said.

Make a Difference Awards

Mr Barker provides the free service thanks to donations and his own money.

Since 2016, Mr Barker has battled multiple serious cancers, including bladder and a rare form of bowel cancer.

He has had several surgeries and deals with chronic pain, fatigue, and hormone complications, but he keeps going.

His commitment has earned him a nomination for a BBC Radio Somerset Make a Difference Award.

"I couldn't believe it. I don't do this for recognition. I do it because I care," he said.

You can find out more about the BBC Make a Difference Awards here.