Salford community volunteers scoop Local Hero Awards

Two dedicated volunteers have been honoured for their valuable work in the Salford community.

Laura Kendall, from Ordsall, and Keri Muldoon, from Lower Broughton, both mums of two, have scooped Local Hero Awards from Salix Homes in recognition of service to their respective communities.

Laura, who is a community engagement officer with Ordsall Community Arts, dedicates her life the people of Ordsall.

She’s launched a toddlers group, helps out at the allotment site, launched a community Facebook page, has secured funding to take disadvantaged children on trips, and organises events for the whole neighbourhood.

Meanwhile Keri is a pillar of the community in Lower Broughton, where she successfully campaigned to save Lower Broughton’s SureStart Centre at River View Primary School, which provides support to families with young children.

She also helped launch the Broughton Flood Group, to share information and advice amongst the community about flood alerts, following the Boxing Day floods in 2015.

Both Laura and Keri were thrilled with their Local Hero Awards, which were launched by Salix Homes last year as part of its Love Your Neighbourhood initiative to honour people who go the extra mile in their community.

Laura said: “I’m so overwhelmed to have received this award – it’s amazing and such a nice feeling knowing that the people in the community recognise all the work I do for Ordsall.”

Keri added: “I love doing things for our community and would like to do more, as helping people smile makes me very happy. I actually donated my prize to a few people including a good friend who has been down lately, and a couple of community members who do a lot for the people of Broughton.”

Jeanette Green, neighbourhood manager at Salix Homes, said: “We launched the Local Hero Awards to recognise ordinary people who work tirelessly in our neighbourhoods for the benefit of others.

“Laura and Keri are both very worthy winners who go to extraordinary lengths to help others and improve their communities. It’s thanks to the efforts of people like Laura and Keri who make our communities such great places to live and work.”

Neither Laura nor Keri are strangers to awards, as both are former winners of Salix Homes’ previous awards scheme – The Salix Star Awards.