Caring Karla full of praise for others

AN award-winning carer who also gives her time to a community group has praised fellow city volunteers.

Karla Bowden, from Devonport, cares for her mum and brother full-time.

Last year the 22-year-old won an Inspiring Volunteering Award in recognition of her work for the Young Friends of Devonport Park.

Karla's comments come as nominations open for this year's awards, the glitzy ceremony to be held on Thursday, June 13.

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Karla took over the running of the group which was set up to allow young people to get involved in organising events at the park.

She said: "The last leader left so I took the group over.

"We had a group of about seven of us planning events in the park; we did an event for the Queen's Jubilee, a Halloween event and an Easter event last year.

"Before I took over I had helped at other events like a sports day and Christmas event.

"The group included a range of ages, the youngest in the group was 13 and I was the oldest.

"I learned some new skills but a lot I knew how to do already from being part of the group. It has been a great experience."

Karla was surprised to be nominated for an Inspiring Volunteering Award – and even more shocked to find out she had won.

"It was a big surprise to win the award," she said.

"A week before, someone came to take pictures as I was a nominee. But I didn't expect to win.

"They said people's names who we nominated and I thought that they had left me out, but it turned out I was the winner.

"It was great to win but everyone deserves it really.

"It was a really nice evening, very posh.

"It's nice for young people to get that recognition though, because they don't really get recognised that much these days, it can be quite negative."

The Inspiring Volunteering Awards are run in partnership with The Herald, Plymouth Guild and Plymouth University.

Other sponsors of the awards are The Skills Group, Sigma, CSR, Young Devon, Trevi House and the Plymouth University Students' Union.

This year's ceremony will be held at Plymouth University.