SELDOM was an award more thoroughly deserved than the one presented to George Christofides .

He has just received Barnoldswick Town Council's annual Rosebowl Award, presented in recognition of outstanding service to the local community.

In that department, there are few to rival George, though he attributes his success at fundraising not to any talent on his part, but to the generosity of Barnoldswick people.

In fact it's a combination of the two that has helped this tireless behind-the-scenes worker raise perhaps a million pounds for various worthy causes.

Commenting on his award, George said: "I'm really thrilled because, as far as I'm concerned, this is for the people of Barnoldswick. I've always done work for the community because I've always enjoyed it, but I couldn't have done any of it without the wonderful support and generosity of the people of Barnoldswick."

Town councillor Bob Smith added: "I have known George for at least 25 years now and I don't think this could go to a better person.

"Not many people know, but George was a good footballer too. The only problem was he was too fast - he was faster than the ball!"

George, of Gordale Close, represented Barnoldswick during the early years of Pendle Council, serving the town for seven years. But it's for his charity work that he was chosen to receive the Rosebowl Award.

During his time as a councillor he became involved with The Spastics Society in Pendle and, as ever, threw himself wholeheartedly into the cause.

For 17 years he was the charity's supervisor for the Pendle area and during those years around half-a-million pounds was raised locally.

In a personal tragedy, George and his wife Dorothy lost their eight-year-old son Michael to leukaemia in 1975. Determined to help others in the same situation, they set about raising funds to combat leukaemia, mainly through the Pendlebury Children's Hospital, at Manchester.

A few years later came the chance for Barnoldswick to establish its own Abbeyfield home, offering elderly people the chance to live independently but with help on hand.

There were grants available, but to the local community had to raise at least £10,000 to get the scheme up and running. With George on board, the money was raised in record time and the grant duly followed.

George has been asked to speak as far afield as London about how the money was raised so quickly, and every time he tells them it was because he had a caring community right behind him all the way.

It's the same story in his work for the West Craven hospital minibus which takes visitors to Skipton and Airedale hospitals four nights a week.

Thirty years since the first minibus made its maiden journey, the service is still going strong. It is run by Barnoldswick and Earby Council of Social Service and George has been one of the group's mainstays.

Youth work has been another area where George has been active, serving for 15 years as chairman of the West Craven Youth Management Committee, and on the governing bodies of every school in Barnoldswick except the two church schools.

He still has strong concerns for the youth of Barnoldswick and would like to see Rainhall Road School - due to close this summer - transformed into a youth centre.