A Bury woman says she was “flabbergasted” to be named in the King's Birthday Honours List on Friday.

Edwina Rosenberg has been awarded an MBE for voluntary services to people in long term care and to the community of Bury.

Her six-decade long spell as a volunteer began aged 16 and has involved schools, hospitals and nursing homes.

Mrs Rosenberg wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in October last year regarding the need to help young people in Gaza amid the conflict with Israel.

And when she got a letter she believed it may have been a reply from him, but was shocked to find she had been awarded an MBE.

The 79-year-old thanked those who had made it possible by allowing her to volunteer with them.

She said: “I was flabbergasted. I never asked for anything I was just happy to volunteer.

“I love making children happy. I was a volunteer for 61 years and I would do the same thing again and I would like to thank all the people who let me work with their organisations, the schools, hospitals and care homes for welcoming me and making this possible.

“It would never have happened without them so they deserve the credit, I am grateful to them.”

Her caring work has been rewarded before as in 2013 she was named Bury Woman of the Year.

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She began volunteering at the kitchen at the Louis Glancy House for the Blind and later spent 30 years at St Philip’s Roman Catholic School.

She also worked at the Booth Hall Children’s Hospital for 31 years where she has dressed up as many characters including Mary Poppins to bring a bit of happiness to youngsters going through difficult situations.

Due to her desire to help people in hospital Mrs Rosenberg is capable of singing "Happy Birthday" in up to 36 different languages and would bring a gift bag with items paid for out of her own pocket.

She has also run children’s services on the Shabbat for a large number of youngsters in many synagogues.

And each year she welcomes students into her home to celebrate the feast of the Sukkah and arranged for a rabbi to teach them about the Jewish New Year celebrations.

Her generosity has also extended into helping at nursing homes which she visited every week.

 During the festive times in the Jewish calendar such as Chanukah and Purim she would dress up during these visits bringing gifts including chocolates and popcorn.

From 2000 she worked in the Israel Seith Nursing Home and Newland Nursing Home where she did lots of visits in costumes.

Other care homes she has visited including Thornton Lodge, Heathlands, Westwoods.