Student nominated for volunteer awards (From The Northern Echo)

Student nominated for volunteer awards

4:44pm Friday 3rd February 2012 in Darlington

A STUDENT has reached the finals of a youth volunteering awards scheme for her work to support elderly people.

Lydia Burnside-Hughes, from Hurworth, near Darlington, has been named as one of three finalists in the Commitment to Volunteering category at the vInspired National Awards.

The annual awards celebrate the achievements and dedication of young volunteers and youth workers and challenge negative attitudes towards young people in the UK.

Miss Hughes, 20, who studies at Northumbria University, was selected from hundreds of nominees for her work as the Northumbria Ambassador for Volunteering with Older People.

She was inspired to volunteer with older people following the death of her grandmother.

She said: “I was quite surprised but really pleased when I found out I was a national finalist.

“You don’t volunteer to get recognition, but when you find out that someone has noticed what you have been doing it’s really nice. I hope that the award will inspire other people to start volunteering too – it will be nice to know that my efforts will have a bigger impact by getting more people involved in helping their communities.”

Terry Ryall, vinspired CEO said: “The determination and selflessness Lydia has demonstrated in her volunteering is truly inspirational.

“She has been chosen as a finalist from hundreds of nominees because she has shown amazing dedication and passion for helping elderly people in her community, regardless of what has stood in her way. She has changed the world for the better, and, I’m in no doubt, will continue to do so long into the future.”

The overall winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on March 22.