Joan Hall (75), of Nottingham Road, has been raising money for charity for the last eight years and her energy and enthusiasm to help others is as strong as ever.

Her drive to raise money for charity earned her a richly-deserved nomination for a Melton Times Community Awards last month but it's helping others that really motivates her.

She said: "After I retired I needed to find myself a hobby to fill my leisure time. I thought a lot about it, wondering what I could do, then decided I would like to raise £1,000 for charity. Three of my younger siblings suffer from motor neurone disease, alzheimers and diabetes so I felt I needed to support their needs.

"I began to create greeting cards, then purchased gift boxes, tissue boxes, waste bins and various other things which I painted inside and out, then decorated them with silk flowers and treated them with a solution which brought them up to look and feel like ceramic ones."Over the years Joan has raised money through the sale of her many creations including calendars, cards, pot pourri, gift boxes and knitted items such as scarves and toys.

She has also hosted numerous afternoon teas and coffee mornings in her home and garden.

And in more recent times she's added yet another impressive string to her fundraising bow.

She said: "I needed another new line so at the age of 75 I enrolled myself at Brooksby Adult Learning Centre to do a jewellery course, the first time in my life I have ever been to college.

"I really enjoy these classes and have learnt how to produce some lovely pieces of jewellery which are selling very well."

When Joan's husband, Les, retired he bought a laptop and he prints cards and Melton calendars using the couple's own photos for Joan to sell. He has also helped turn a bedroom into his wife's very own craft room.

Joan added: "The afternoon teas and coffee evenings are always very well attended with usually 80 to 100 visitors come rain or shine. We all enjoy a friendly and happy time together.

"I also hold a stall at Sage Cross Methodist Church every Tuesday at the coffee mornings where we're both members. I couldn't have raised this amount of money without the support of our minister, Rev Philip Macdonald, and our members and friends. I don't know what I would do without my church family.