A charity shop volunteer from Hillsborough received a coveted honour at the Sense Awards ceremony last night.
Owen Graham began volunteering at Sense in Hillsborough when it first opened four years ago, following the death of his wife.
Mr Graham has been described by his colleagues as the “backbone of the shop”, often working seven days a week when the store is short staffed.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Sense Awards, celebrating the achievements of people with complex disabilities and those who work for the charity.
In his free time, Mr Graham takes children’s toys and watches home from the shop to test and fit with batteries he buys himself.
According to Sense website, the Volunteer of the Year category celebrates the “tremendous commitment and dedication of Sense volunteers”.
Accepting the award, Mr Own said: “Thank you for voting me Sense Volunteer of the Year. I’m a passionate supporter of Sense.
“I’ve worked in the optical profession all my life, so Sense’s principles mean a lot to me. I hope this inspires others to volunteer at Sense Sheffield and give it the respect that it deserves.
“It is an incredible honour and I say thank you to everyone who voted.”
Daisy Palmer, assistant manager of Sense Sheffield said: “We are incredibly proud of Owen, he is one of our hardest working volunteers, and he really is one in a million.
“He works so hard for the charity, which he is very passionate about, sometimes working seven days week at 82 years old!
Ms Palmer said that Mr Graham is a key holder of the Hillsborough store and customers often ask after him when he is enjoying a rare day off.
“He pretty much runs the show anyway and it is exhausting trying to fight him to get him to take a day off.
“Owen getting the award is amazing, and we are glad to see people appreciating him as much as we do.”
