A WOMAN who has spent more than a decade helping isolated older people has been nominated for a St George’s Day Award.

Beverley Dowdell, 71, is the chairman on Southampton’s Black Heritage Association which helps older people from all walks of life in the city who may be suffering from loneliness.

The Daily Echo has been launching the Southampton St George’s Day Festival and Daily Echo Community Awards, which celebrate the people who make the Southampton City region better through their selfless work.

Mrs Dowdell has been nominated for the Local Unsung Hero award for her work chairing the association for the past 12 years.

The retired nurse said: “I feel flattered, I only ever do things because I want to do them and I feel really flattered that someone thought that much of me to nominate me.

“The association started off to support older members of the Afro-Caribbean community. It is a social club where we talk, play games and share information .

“Quite a few of them live alone, the lady who started the association did some research and found out the older members of the Afro-Caribbean community did not have much support and this is why it was formed.”

Now the charity aims to help anyone over the age of 55 who may be suffering from loneliness and welcomes everyone regardless of their background or ethnicity.

The association meets three times a week at 53 Northumberland Road, Southampton, and sees at least 50 people a week come through the doors for friendship, information and community.

Mrs Dowdell, who lives in Eastleigh, moved to the area from Jamaica in 1971 where she was a fully qualified nurse, after she was recruited by Southampton General Hospital.

The grandmother-of-three said: “I expected to work for a bit, do a postgraduate course and go back to Jamaica, but love always gets in the way and I married an Englishman and this is my home now.”

For more information and to register for a free ticket go to bit.ly/1ScFaVT The winners of the awards will be announced the St George’s Day Festival on the day itself, Saturday, April 23.

The festival is taking place at The 1865 in Brunswick Square, Southampton.