EVEN as the second anniversary approaches, the sense of loss at the tragic deaths of apprentice jockeys Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson still remains incredibly raw.

Paul Lodge knows this only too well. As one of Norton’s Racing Welfare officers, he is dealing with the heart-breaking consequences of the flats fire in Buckrose Court to this day.

For that blaze in September 2009, started in anger by Peter Brown who is now serving a prison sentence after being convicted of manslaughter, did not just kill two talented riders on the cusp of enjoying promising careers.

It made people homeless, it robbed them of precious possessions and clothes and created deep psychological scars which have persisted long after the terrible event.

Lodge, who has worked for the charity for four years, tried to help those affected by the fire to pick up the pieces of their broken lives.

Whether simply providing people with clothing, or helping to spearhead the fundraising drive which helped raise more than £110,000 in the aftermath, it was work that made an enormous difference.

Now Lodge’s efforts have been rewarded after he was one of 12 people shortlisted for the Betfair 2011 Pride of Racing Awards.

Organisers asked racing professionals and members of the public to put forward individuals who had made significant contributions to the sport.

He received 20 separate nominations from people in Norton and Malton, with one saying: “Paul Lodge is paid to be a welfare officer but the help and support he has given and continues to give to those of us affected by the fire goes beyond what we would expect as ‘part of the job’.

“His phone was always switched on, he was always there. He has done everything from putting clothes on backs to counselling and explaining the drawn out and distressing issues of the trial.

“He’s a good man, he really cares and it would be a fantastic thing to see such an unassuming bloke get some public recognition for what he has done for my family and many others.”

Lodge, who will now attend an awards’ evening at Epsom on July 14, has been taken aback by the nomination and has confirmed his work is not finished.

“I am delighted. It was a bit of a shock, actually,” he said.

“I’m just a guy who goes to work and does what I do. Helping people is what I do and it is one of those things where you don’t think you will be recognised for that.

“When I was nominated, I was shocked. When I learned I had got through to the final 12, I was delighted. It makes you really proud in a sense.”

The 44-year-old added: “It (the spectre of the fire) has not gone away. It is still raw in respect of the work I did and the help people received.

“It is recognising that Jamie and Jan aren’t here any more and those families are still grieving.

“Those young lads and lasses who survived are still dealing with it and I suppose this brings it all forward again. People don’t forget, but it is a reminder of what happened and that people have to rebuild their lives.”

Based in Norton, Lodge’s work takes him not just to Ryedale but across the whole of the north and Scotland.

It’s a role he has carried out for the past four years and for which he is perfectly suited, having spent 11 of his 24 years in the forces with the Army Welfare service.

Getting out to some of the country’s most far flung training yards and studs, Lodge covers more than 10,000 miles every year helping racing’s vulnerable people.

But it is the Buckrose Court fire which has put his role into sharp focus.

“After any disaster the immediate thing is to deal with the practical issues like putting clothes on people’s backs and re-homing them,” he added.

“It is when that has gone away the people start to realise what has gone on and the true value of that.

“It’s an ongoing process. We keep in touch with people and see how they are while letting them know we are here.

“We work on the back of tragedy but it is true, honest welfare work – doing what you can and giving people that help.”