SINCE Agata Lambrechts founded grassroots movement, From York with Love, more than 500 people across York have collected aid to help charities and people in need.

The mum of two from Acomb has enlisted volunteers to set up collection points in homes and workplaces to support appeals helping refugees in Greece and Serbia, homeless people in York, women living in the IDAS refuge, York-based asylum seekers and refugees and many more groups in need.

Mrs Lambrechts has nominated From York with Love for the Community Project of the Year award and she has been put forward for the Volunteer of the Year title by Dr Rasha Ibrahim.

She said: "Since Agata moved to York and started her PhD at the University of York, she has made a huge contribution to the local community, both on campus and in the city.

"She has recruited student and staff helpers and the community to collect aid for various causes. So far Agata has engaged hundreds of people in York and beyond using the power of social media."

Just some of the activities outlined by Dr Ibrahim include sending Christmas parcels and toiletries to refugee children, collecting for The Sunday Feed in Spurriergate, collecting hundreds of winter clothing items, coordinating and creating toiletry hampers for emergency accommodation and refuge residents and aid for the York City of Sanctuary projects (she sits on the management committee) and its Wakefield counterpart.

Mrs Lambrechts acts as a coordinator for the York branch of the National Childbirth Trust and coordinates support groups and is a trustee for the Graduate Students' Association at the University of York.

She also organised a collection of food, toiletries, baby clothes and equipment for a pregnant Big Issue seller.

She is researching access to higher education for refugees and asylum seekers for her PhD and hopes to influence policy in the future.

Her motivation, she says, is to create a sense of community and show people how they can help others, both on their doorstep and in other countries.

"I have been amazed at how people have responded since I posted on From York With Love's Facebook page that I was collecting winter clothes for children," she said. "We had 200kg of good quality stuff in four days.

"I didn't want to start a new charity but I let people know when there is work we can do for an appeal. It is a short-term commitment."

She is mum to Audrey, two, and Arthur, eight months, but still finds the time to study and drive multiple projects.

"I find the busier I am the more organised I am. I am very ad hoc when there is a need and this is what I enjoy, she added."

The Community Pride Awards are run by The Press in partnership with City of York Council and the primary sponsor is York-based healthcare organisation Benenden.

All nominees must live in, or contribute to life in, the City of York Council area.

Three finalists from each category will be invited to the awards ceremony at York Racecourse in October, when the winners will be revealed.

Entries can be submitted by July 21 to York Community Pride Awards, The Press, 84-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN. You can also nominate online at yorkpress.co.uk/communitypride