A FORMER Wee County resident will soon receive the British Empire Medal in recognition of her years of voluntary work supporting Cancer Research UK.

Winifred Muir was named in the Queen's New Year's Honours list, and says she still feels "absolutely astounded" at the news.

The 72-year-old, who now lives on the Isle of Bute, told the Advertiser about her voluntary work, and her childhood in Clacks.

She said: "My parents ran the Mar Place Garage – now the Leisure Bowl – in Alloa.

"I went to Alloa Academy, then I worked in Patons and Baldwins."

When she was 23, Winifred married her partner Tom and left the Wee County to move to London.

It was during her time down south that she started to get involved in voluntary work.

She said: "I started volunteering in a shop, which was at that time Imperial Cancer.

"I saw them through the change from Imperial Cancer to Cancer Research UK, when they merged them together."

Winifred then started volunteering to put her free time to good use, and also revealed some personal reasons for her choice of charity.

She said: "My father had cancer, and so did my mother. My father died of it, and my mother had survived cancer and I thought: 'Well, where else am I going to volunteer?'

"Then sadly, seven years ago my husband got lung cancer, but he survived it."

After moving back to Scotland in 2001, Winifred kept up her work with Cancer Research UK.

Incredibly, even a Parkinson's diagnosis several years ago would not stop her.

She said: "The girls in the shop thought I would stop, and I shake around a lot but I'm still working now."

In recognition of that dedication, Winifred was named in the New Year's Honours list for 2019.

Speaking about how she reacted to the news, she said: "I was absolutely astounded, I really couldn't believe it.

"I got the letter asking if I will accept the award, and if I do I must not tell anyone until it's announced officially.

"So you have to keep quiet for a month – which was hard."

Nevertheless Winifred managed, and she will receive the medal from HM Lord Lieutenant for Argyll & Bute in the next few weeks.

When asked if she will keep volunteering in the meantime, she said: "Absolutely. I'm not going to give in."