How 80-year-old Dot stays active by volunteering with Community Gateway Association and Farri Park CiC in Preston

Dot Halliwell with her flowers and cards

Dot looks after Farringdon Park Community Centre, in Thirlmere Road, Preston, as a director of the Farri Park CiC, and she was delighted when staff and fellow volunteers presented her with cards and flowers for her big day.

She said: “I don’t feel like I am 80. People say I am fit and active for my age.”

Dot has been volunteering for the community group for more than 10 years and she is now part of the community interest group, which was set up five years ago, to lease centre from Preston City Council. She is part of RAFT (Residents Association of Farringdon and Thirlmere), working in association with Community Gateway Association (CGA).

She said: “I look after the building and I am involved in community activities, like the youth club, junior dance sessions, and the over 50s. The community centre is really important because we are in an isolated area. It is for people of all ages, youngsters, families and older people.

“I love volunteering at the centre. It keeps me active and I will carry on until I can’t do it anymore. But I could not do what I do at the centre without the help of my small, but dedicated, band of volunteers.

She also joked: “Hopefully we will get more volunteers to help so I can step back when I am 90.”

Dot added she has lived in the same house on the estate for 72 years, saying: "It is important for me to be involved in the community."

A spokesman for the Community Engagement Team and CGA, said: "Dot Halliwell gives her time everyday to support Farringdon Park Community Centre and the wider community. From organising activities at the centre to supporting other groups across Preston she never shies away from giving up her time for others. She is a true shining star and we want to send our best wishes on this special day."