A STOURBRIDGE pensioner has received an award for her relentless determination in the fight against heart disease.

Eileen Manning, aged 77, was given the Retail Volunteer of the Year award from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) during Volunteers Week, which ran from June 1 to 7.

Mrs Manning scooped the accolade for the dedication she has shown throughout the 25 years she has volunteered at the charity's Stourbridge shop.

She was inspired to volunteer for the charity after her husband, Trevor, suffered a heart attack and needed a life-saving quadruple by-pass.

Mrs Manning said: “I am delighted to have been given such a prestigious title as there are so many worthy volunteers who give their time to the BHF.

“I have made some wonderful friends and have so many lovely memories. I would encourage anyone to volunteer for the BHF as it is such a rewarding experience and you get to meet the most fantastic and inspiring people.

"We also have a lot of support as volunteers and there are lots of things you can do to get involved.”

The charity's regional manager, John O’Reilly, added: “Volunteers are absolutely essential to the success of the charity, and play a vital part in fighting coronary heart disease, the nation’s single biggest killer.

“We simply couldn’t do the amazing work we do without people like Eileen. We appreciate every minute she has given us and we hope this will go some way to showing how grateful we are.”

For more information about volunteering visit www.bhf.org.uk/volunteer or visit one of the charity's shops.