A CARING 90-year-old great-grandmother who continues to volunteer for charity has been nominated for a Community Pride Award.

Violet Armitage, who has volunteered at the St Leonard’s Hospice shop in Tang Hall since it opened almost 20 years ago, has no plans to put her feet up any time soon and continues to help at the shop.

Mrs Armitage, who lives in Tang Hall, has been nominated by her granddaughter as volunteer of the year in the The Press’ Community Pride Awards, which celebrates unsung heroes who go the extra mile to help other people.

Even on her 90th birthday, instead of receiving presents Mrs Armitage asked people to donate money to the York charity.

Granddaughter Sarah Willis said even though Mrs Armitage was admitted to hospital with pneumonia at Christmas, by February she was back to working two afternoons a week at the shop.

She said: “The shop has been a lifeline for my nan, but I know my nan and all the volunteers are a lifeline to the hospice shop. Dedicating so many years of her life to volunteering, my nan has collected items for sale and has bought stock herself to help this worthy cause.

“My whole family is so very proud of nan. She is living proof that age is no barrier to volunteering. She sets a wonderful example to her great-grandchildren, who are secondary school age. I’m sure there won’t be many of their friends who can say their great-granddaughter is still working at 90.”

Not only does she work at the St Leonard’s Hospice shop but she also single-handedly provides all the prizes for the summer and Christmas fayre raffles in Wilberfoss, Mrs Willis said.

She also buys stock from the hospice shop to donate to the Wilberfoss Community Centre and Wilberfoss Playing Fields Association, moving residents to invite her as guest of honour to their annual elders’ party in Wilberfoss in January 2011.

The Community Pride Awards, which will have a York 800 theme this year, are run in partnership with City of York Council and sponsored by Benenden Healthcare. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in October.