BEING a good parent is tough work and good parents need support and recognition, a director of a well-loved local family business has said.

That’s why York family business Barnitts is sponsoring the Parent Of The Year Award at The Press’s Community Pride Awards.

Paul Thompson, managing director, said as a father to four children he wanted to support the award, and heading up Barnitts could almost be compared with having an extended family.

Family is very important to Mr Thomspon, who spends as much time as possible outside work with his sons George, 13, Edward, 11, Henry, nine and five-year-old Charlie.

It is also why he feels he has a good relationship with his employees, and is able to support his staff through their own family issues.

Mr Thompson also has a personal insight into some of the challenges parents face, as Henry has learning difficulties and the family have had to learn to cope with the challenges that this brings.

Mr Thomspon said: “In the early days it was very hard work. I am fortunate to be in a privileged position where we have been able to get help for things, such as speech therapy and support from within school. This support and help is exceptionally difficult to get from the NHS.

“The help and support isn’t always there that you want and need because there just isn’t the funding for it.”

He said different parents and children had different needs, and he wanted to support the category because he had an understanding of the challenges of being a parent.

Mr Thompson said he had met some inspiring families at last year’s Community Pride Awards when Barnitts won the award for Service With A Smile.

“You do see a lot of people out there helping in the community who don’t get a lot of recognition and it’s hard for them.

“Being a good parent is very hard in this day and age, especially if parents have got financial worries and there is a lot of peer pressure to be the perfect parents. But there are lots of good parents out there and the work they do should be recognised.

“It’s frightening for them, particularly for young families if they have got no support network. Some parents do manage on their own and don’t complain. It’s not an easy job and there is no rule book.”

You can make a Community Pride nomination online at thepress.co.uk/pride before Friday, July 22.

All nominees must live or be based in the City of York council tax area, and the winners will be invited to the awards ceremony at York Racecourse in October.