My former colleague Paul Boskett, who has died aged 59 after a heart attack, was a committed trade unionist and youth worker. He became chair of the national negotiating body for youth workers and campaigned for their improved status and pay. I first worked with him at the Community and Youth Workers' Union, where, as president from 2005, he oversaw the union's merger with the TGWU, which itself merged with Amicus in 2007 to form Unite.
Born in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Paul started out as a language teacher after studying at Keele University and Crewe and Alsager College (now Manchester Metropolitan University). But he became disillusioned with the classroom, instead throwing himself into youth work in disadvantaged areas. He was a driving force behind the greatly admired Cheshire Youth Service and for his work there he was made an MBE. He was distraught when the service was dismantled. He worked recently at the British Youth Council and was part of the team that secured an annual sitting of the UK Youth Parliament in the House of Commons.
Paul fought against injustice and was of the left, although he had great private reverence for the monarchy. A bass guitarist with the Cheshire-based Papa Bears band and a brilliant DJ, he knew popular music inside out as well as football, trains and the industrial economy of Britain. He worshipped at Union Street Baptist Church in Crewe for 30 years.
Paul's love of the railways made him a friend of the rail unions and an advocate of a nationally owned transport system. Just before privatisation he travelled hundreds of miles in 24 hours on different lines of the UK rail network to raise money for charity – dressed as Court Dracula.
In a life lived for others, he sought reflection every year at Lindisfarne.
His marriage ended in separation, and he is survived by three children, Stewart, Katy and Andrew, and four brothers.