You get to meet some really inspiring people doing this job and one such person this week was Danny Maddocks, who is trying to set up a campaign warning children of the dangers of knife crime.

Danny's older brother Craig was brutally murdered in 2013 and the impact of losing someone he loved as a result of knife crime acted as motivation for him to stop others from experiencing the same trauma.

His plan is for children to be educated away from a potential life of gangs and knives and into the boxing gym, where his brother tasted success as an amateur, including winning five national titles and fighting for his country at the Commonwealth Games.

I wish Danny all the luck with this campaign as it's clearly important for children to learn that carrying a knife is not okay and there are other, far more fulfilling ways to live your life.

  • Democracy is the will of the people, not a plaything

It's not often a major international news story happening on the other side of the planet has a direct impact on the lives of those living much closer to home.

Back in November last year, I interviewed Dr Nihola Rangel, who had fled Venezuela some months earlier to escape a series of death threats and kidnappings and was now living in Wrexham awaiting a decision on her application for political asylum.

Dr Rangel had been looking to bring about political and social change in the South American country, which has been brought to its knees by crippling rates of inflation that at the time were tipped to hit the one million per cent mark by the end of the year.

Her vivid accounts about being shot at while trying to help injured protestors, her then 18-year-old son being kidnapped with a $20,000 ransom placed on his head and their subsequent escape across the border to neighbouring Colombia were as jaw dropping as they were heartbreaking and seemed more akin to scenes from some glossy Netflix funded docu-series, but no, this was how life actually was for someone living on the other side of the world.

Since then, the situation in Venezuela has escalated further and become headline news around the world, with opposition leader Juan Guaidó declaring himself as the interim President, a move officially recognised by several countries, including the UK, in a bid to oust the democratically elected Nicolás Maduro from the political hot seat.

While my interest in this fascinating and complicated story is naturally piqued because of the experience of meeting someone who has not only lived there, but bears the scars of fighting for a cause she passionately believes in, it hasn't necessarily swayed my view on how events such as these could and should continue to unfold.

With Venezuela sitting on top the world's largest oil reserves, it is no great surprise to see the United States at the forefront of matters, seemingly trying to restore a democratic order to things and no doubt ensure the person in the seat of power will bring them relatively easy access to the black gold.

However, the most important factor in all of this should be the will of the people of Venezuela and when all is said and done, that should be the one and only determining factor in providing an outcome, with the current President, no matter how unpopular, remaining in charge until another election deems otherwise.

  • Second vote is no solution to Brexit mess

Seeing as I’ve started on the will of the people and democracy, it seems only right to write about the UK’s own globally reaching horror story - BREXIT - or Brexit, if you prefer to talk about these things in much quieter, whispered, hushed tones.

There is very little to add on the matter that hasn’t already been said, with a now, often quoted general consensus being that the whole sorry affair should just be kicked to the kerb and forgotten about, with the reason being - new evidence.

I was chatting to an elderly lady in the foyer of my local Sainsbury’s last week, the opening gambit being how beautiful everything looked that morning as the bright sun shone down on our small part of the world covered in a blanket of pure white snow.

The pleasant chat quickly turned to tales of grit, slush and Brexit and despite telling me she had voted to Remain, she was keen to point out the importance of respecting the outcome.

She said: “What will be left of our democracy if we just ignore the outcome of that original vote, or worse still, have another referendum to overturn it?”

I actually agree with her completely.

Why should there be another referendum because our politician’s have made such an awful mess of negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union?

There has been much mockery and pigeon-holing of the people who voted Leave and while some of it may be justified, if the freedoms of democracy are to be maintained in this country, that vote should be honoured as much as any democratic vote should be, in any part of the world, whether it’s in Caracas or Wrexham.