A Marlow volunteer-turned-celebrity said she has been overwhelmed with support after receiving a prestigious award and strutting her stuff on BBC’s The People's Strictly for Comic Relief.

Trishna Bharadia, 35, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2007, and last week scooped the Volunteer of the Year award at charity Sue Ryder’s Women of Achievement Awards held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Marlow.

The hard-working charity worker and former Spinfield School pupil has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of MS, especially in the Asian community.

Trishna was chosen as one of six inspirational members of the public to star in the hugely successful BBC’s Strictly spin-off for Comic Relief.

And the Marlow resident said the award, alongside being recognised in the street from TV, has opened up a whole new for her charity work.

She said: "It was fantastic to win the award, when they announced it I was in shock. It was one of those evenings where you come away feeling inspired and uplifted.

"I feel completely honoured, it’s been great in terms of putting MS on a platform and will help massively with all the work I do.

"It’s really given me the momentum to continue, I’m now I’m being asked to speak at events and fundraisers all over the place.

"It [Strictly] has been the best experience of my life and I didn’t want it to end. I’ve also discovered how much I love dancing, it was an amazing opportunity."

The glitzy awards bash on Thursday, March 19 also saw Kathryn Rickman from Cookham walk away with the Community Champion of the Year gong.

The stalwart volunteer, who has run a playgroup for over 20 years, said: "I feel honoured. I am fortunate to live in the vibrant community of Cookham. "Community is about people getting involved and working together towards a common goal, so I receive this award on behalf of Cookham.

"I might be the ideas person but they can only be realised through teamwork."