THE woman behind a campaign to recycle aluminium in York and support a local charity said winning a national award was "a Cinderella story".

Karen Nash took control of aluminium recycling bins in York to collect foil and cans which are then recycled for money.

Cash raised supports SNAPPY, a charity which works with children and young people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities, including Karen’s son Peter.

Last week Karen travelled from Stockton on the Forest to London for the national Awards For Excellence In Recycling And Waste Management, where her project was named Best Community Recycling Initiative.

Karen said: “I’m still a bit stunned, really. It’s gone from strength to strength.

“It’s a bit of a Cinderella story - I put on a posh frock and went to London for a posh awards ceremony and got given an award presented by Gregg Wallace, and today I’m back in my overalls crushing cans.”

Last year, the recycling project raised £2,000 for the charity, and collection bins have been put in churches, community centres, schools and supermarkets.

Karen said: “My aim all along was to try and raise some money and awareness for SNAPPY, as it’s a small charity and they spend their time concentrating on the children, as they should, so any publicity or fundraising I could do for them would be helpful.

“Now I’m collecting about 200kg a month, which works out at about £100. This time four years ago, we were making about £20 a month. I started having to empty the bins every six weeks and going to the scrap merchants every four to six weeks with a car load, but now I’m going every three weeks and most of the supermarket collection bins we’re having to empty every week.”