Volunteering heroes in Bradford have clinched places in the finals of a national awards scheme.

Youth worker Pauline King and NCS team NCS Bradford have reached the last stages of the largest youth volunteering awards in the country.

Miss King works with Brathay Trust, a charity with the mission to improve the life chances of children and young people by inspiring them to engage positively in their communities.

NCS Bradford decided to give back to the community by visiting residential homes for the elderly and running community days bringing everyone together.

They have been named as finalists in the vInspired National Awards which celebrate the achievements and dedication of young volunteers and youth workers.

Miss King has been selected from hundreds of nominations to be named as a finalist in the Outstanding Contribution by a Youth Worker category.

She left her corporate career nine years ago to pursue one closer to her heart. She worked with young offenders for a number of years and now works at Brathay Trust.

Miss King builds trust with her motto: that she’ll never ask a young person to do something she’s not prepared to do herself. She’s known in her community as ‘Nanna P’.

NCS Bradford is a finalist in the Most Outstanding NCS Team category. The group comprised 14 young people from a range of backgrounds and different parts of the Bradford area.

Having never met each other before, they came together to not only develop their own skills, make new friends and gain confidence, but also to give back to their communities. The young people decided on various volunteering opportunities ranging from visits to residential homes, environment projects, community days, fundraising for charities and supporting food banks.

Miss King said: “It makes me proud to know that what I do makes a difference to young people and having an organisation such as vInspired recognise it is an amazing bonus. I just hope that it encourages other people to get involved and help make a change in their communities.

“The young people motivate me as they are so inspirational and passionate. Young people get such bad press, but no young person is ever born bad. We should never stop looking for the good in them.”

Julie Whiting, Brathay Trust’s operations manager, said: “Several of the young people from NCS Bradford have told me that the NCS experience has changed their lives and given them something to strive for. They truly are an inspirational group.”

The award winners will be revealed at a ceremony in London on March 27.