With more than 60 years of volunteering and knitting needles that click deftly as she speaks, even Phyllis Lancaster cannot remember how many teddy bears she has made for charity.
The 95-year-old has been making the bears - known as Teddies for Tragedies - as well as blankets for most of her time with Pinner's Inner Wheel.
The bears and blankets are sent to places stricken by tragedy, and Phyllis, the club's longest-serving member, was selected as the overall winner of last year’s Harrow’s Heroes awards for her tireless charity work.
Now she is calling on Harrow people to nominate more unsung heroes who give their time to help others.
Up until a few years ago, Phyllis held garden parties every year in her back garden in Royston Park Road, Hatch End, to raise money for Michael Sobell House, Marie Curie Cancer Care and other Harrow charities, along with being a stalwart member of the Inner Wheel club.
She said: “I used to do a lot more, with the garden parties in my garden, but now as I’m getting older I can’t do all the things I used to.
“But I can still knit, which I enjoy very much, and have made more than 800 teddies which go all over the world for children to enjoy.”
Phyllis was awarded the Judges’ Overall Winner award in 2014, with her daughter Hillary picking up the certificate and prize at the Harrow’s Heroes ceremony in October last year.
She said: “I was absolutely astonished to have won something because I didn’t even know anything about the awards.
“I had no idea what was happening, and neither did my daughter, until they called my name at the ceremony and she came home with this stuff.
“I don’t feel like a hero, I just feel like a little old woman."
Anyone who wants to give their volunteers recognition on social media can tweet about their accomplishments using the hashtag #shoutoutHarrow.
For further information on Harrow to nominate and for terms and conditions, please visit www.harrow.gov.uk/harrowheroes
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