A SELFLESS community worker has been nominated for a top accolade.

Sharon Matthews is in the running for the Tenant of the Year honour at tenant engagement experts Tpas’ north region awards.

The 56-year-old, from Tonge Moor, helped out at the UCAN centre when she first moved to the area.

And she now volunteers at the Fusion Centre, a community hub she helped set up. It runs a host of activities including a weekly café, art classes, IT classes and a cinema club.

The mum-of-one, who works full-time for Bolton Young People’s Housing Scheme (BYPHS), said she felt ‘very proud and privileged’ to be nominated.

She added: “I have always loved supporting people, and as well as in my working life, I also love helping my neighbours and being part of a community, and the challenges that can bring.

“There are people in my community that have problems and vulnerabilities and through volunteering in my community, I have gained valuable knowledge about where tenants can go for the help they need with various issues.”

Maura Jackson, CEO of BYPHS, said everyone at the charity was 'really proud of her'.

She said: "She has worked on the project since 2010 and she is absolutely superb. And on top of full-time work with really vulnerable young people she does all this work in the community around Tonge Moor at the Fusion Centre.

“It’s commendable, it’s brilliant and she does it all in her free time.

“She’s a really nice woman, the young people love her.”

Other Bolton at Home nominees include Willow Hey Men in Sheds, for the Excellence in Community Action Award, and the landlord’s Community Engagement Team, for Team of the Year.

Bolton at Work has also been nominated for Excellence in Employment Skills and Training - Landlord.

Noel Sharpe, Bolton at Home’s director of customer and place, said: “We are very proud to be in the running for multiple Tpas awards as they recognise excellent and pioneering work in social housing and people who’ve made significant differences to communities.”