The flying Dutchman!

LONG distance: volunteer Samuel Antiri travels from Holland to Oldham every week for counselling duties.

A counsellor has shown his unwavering dedication to Oldham — by making a staggering 600-mile round trip every week to volunteer in the borough.

Next time you complain about commuter traffic, spare a thought for 51-year-old Samuel Antiri. Every Wednesday he makes the journey from his home in Rotterdam, Holland, to Oldham’s Link Centre to offer advice and help to people as part of the free One To One counselling service. Driven by a lifelong ambition to help those in need, he fulfils his voluntary role on Wednesday and Friday evenings before jetting back home on Saturdays.

The astonishing routine has become the norm for the caring dad of four, who has stuck at it for over a year.

Samuel said: “Some are shocked and surprised, but then they see the passion and the dream I have to help people move on and they understand why I do it. “The people here have been awesome, strangely enough I’ve never felt like I’ve not wanted to come.

“I’m so used to flying here, getting on the plane just feels like driving now.

“Everyone is used to seeing me come through the airport and they all say hello and treat me like a friend.”

Born and raised in Ghana, he trained as a priest before emigrating to Holland.

There he set up several international churches for people who had fled from Africa and the Caribbean.

His mission was to help those traumatised by the brutal wars in Sierra Leone and Congo, as well as the tough economical climates in Nigeria and Kenya.

After achieving his dream and settling down with his wife and children he then journeyed the globe as a missionary to South Korea, America, Canada and Singapore, before signing up to complete a diploma in counselling and psychotherapy at the Manchester College.

It was during his course that he came across the Oldham-based One To One Counselling, and signed up as a volunteer to complete his placement.

Committing to the role involves him setting off at 6am each week and flying to Liverpool, before getting the bus to Oldham in time for his 4pm session.

He said: “It took me a while to get my head round slang terms and phrases at first that people use here but I am fine now.

“To see people that are down or depressed able to move on from that excites me.

“To be able to help lift that fog and help bring the light back to their lives is what I love doing – you cannot put a price on it.

“Even in Ghana I would try to help feed and clothe children on the street, I think I got that from my mum and dad, they were very caring people.

“Here, people have different problems but they still feel hurt and they still need help.”

Even when he doesn’t have lectures, during the holidays, he still makes the effort to travel and be there for those who count him in Oldham.

“My clients’ problems don’t take vacations,” he says.

His course comes to an end in June, when he will say goodbye to the good friends he has made.

Then he plans to set up a similar counselling service in Holland, and hopes one day to return to his homeland of Ghana to help others.

He said: “There’s nothing like going home is there? “It will be sad to leave here, everyone has provided me with such support and I’ll never forget it.

“The community need to support this service, what is does for local people is immeasurable and I’m so proud to have been a part of it.”