IT goes without saying that when it is both your job and your pleasure to report on the people and places that make the area you’ve always called home great, there can often be no shortage of people you meet who can be described as an inspiration or determined.

Sometimes it’s both, and upon starting my reporting on the various goings on at Bodmin Town Council, there was one councillor and local resident I’ve wanted to find out more about.

Cllr Pete Skea is a Bodmin town councillor and local disability champion who has not let a life with cerebral palsy be any less than that of those who might sometimes be described as ‘able bodied’.

The crux of it is this - that even in an electric wheelchair, Pete is someone who I have frequently observed achieving things and living a life that even someone without his conditions might aspire to.

One phrase came up repeatedly during our interview. ‘Inspiring others’. The message that Pete said he wanted to get across was not to celebrate all that he’s done, but rather, use his story to prove to the wider world that no matter what holds you back, you can achieve your dreams.

Pete hasn’t yet achieved the biggest of prizes he aspires to, which is being the first disabled mayor of Bodmin. Although, hopes remain high that his day will come sooner rather than later, even if there has been 11 years of waiting.

Pride in the effort that goes into his work is one of Pete’s driving factors.

He said: “I am a quite hard working; outgoing person and I am always striving to do the best of my ability to help people as much as possible. That’s one of the reasons I became a town councillor, because the more council work that I find myself getting involved with, the more and more I want to understand how things work so therefore, the more in depth my knowledge widens.

“Also driving it is my love of Bodmin, a place that me and my three sisters have grown up here, and I think that Bodmin is getting better and better all the time, and I think we have a long way to go but we are striving to get there.”

Having been born with cerebral palsy, Pete has been confined to a wheelchair, with transportation assisted by his mother, with whom he lives and who assists Pete with tasks he might find more difficult — not that it stops him trying.

Prior to his work as a town councillor, Pete had been on a mission to do his bit to improve the fortunes of those facing challenges like he did.

He said of his background prior to joining the town council: “I did a lot of work with Disability Cornwall and I was a director/trustee of the charity but I left that because I wanted to work with other charities and I found myself in a bit of a rut. I found that within the charity sector there is only so far you can go but I got a lot of knowledge and experience.”

Pete’s story to date is one of determination against the odds, and he described his education prior to where he is now.

He said: “When I was a student at Bodmin College, I got one A star, 3 Bs 5cs and 1E which I have the certificates for, and I did also a GNVQ in Business Studies and achieved that at distinction level.

“Bodmin College was a good start for me, and I have never forgotten my time there.

“I passed all my GCSEs at Bodmin College, leaving the college in July 2000 before I went across the Tamar to a specialist college in Cheltenham where I could learn life skills and I did that for three years before doing an ICT City and Guilds qualification.

“The college in Cheltenham was a place for people with all different kinds of disabilities and impairments as well and I came back from there to come back home, do the work I mentioned in the charity sector, I also worked as a SEN (special education needs) teaching assistant at Robartes Junior School for a year, in 2005, I think that was, then in 2013 I took the decision to join Bodmin Town Council and I really progressed from there.”

Despite his busy calendar of civic and other duties, the reality is that life with cerebral palsy does not come without its challenges, particularly on the days where the symptoms of the condition are more prevalent than others.

I asked Pete about the challenges he faces as an active member of the community with his condition. He said: “Some days I am not firing on all cylinders, and I find that I must take things a bit slower on those particular days, but I try not to let my disability get me down when that happens.

“On those days, I try and work through my challenges and do what I can, particularly things such as keeping up with my council emails, council commitments and such. It is very rare that I have to send apologies for any medical matters or anything going on in my life and I am proud that despite all that, I have an almost 100 per cent attendance record to all the meetings at Bodmin Town Council, although there might be one or two that I can’t make for a particular reason.”

For the last three years, Cllr Skea has been the chair of planning. He said of his experiences at the council: “I love being a town councillor, getting to talk to people and obviously, joshing with some of the other councillors. I love feeling involved, being part of a team and I think over the eleven years I have done the role I have improved. The more in depth I get to it, the more I want to get into the role.”

“Me and John Gibbs are joint second longest serving members of Bodmin Town Council, only Cllr Andy Coppin has served for longer and it feels quite an honour really that I’m still able to serve and be one of the main councillors on the council.

“I want it to continue for years to come, and never taken the role for granted. My dream is to progress to become either deputy mayor first or follow the path of the current mayor, where she went straight into it.”

Our conversation ended with the message Pete wanted to stress from the beginning. He said: “I’m not doing this [the interview] for people to say ‘look at me’, I want to say to people that if you want to achieve things in life, don’t give up.

“We may have to achieve them in different ways or main goals but keep going. I mean, I haven’t given up, I don’t intend on giving up and if you believe and want to believe, there’s always a way of doing what you want to achieve.

“I want to show the disability community if you like, that what can be achieved if you want to achieve is limitless - with being the mayor being the ultimate next goal for me.”