TWO women from Cornwall have been nominated as 'Community Heroes' thanks to the work they've both done for their respective communities. 

Local Cornwall residents Kathy Austin and Alison Davey have been named as 2023 Petplan & ADCH Animal Charity Awards finalists in the category Charity Volunteer of the Year thanks to their dedicated work at the Launceston & District branch of Cats Protection and British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

This year’s awards will be held on Tuesday, May 16 at The International Conference Centre in Telford where the finalists will enjoy a celebratory dinner and an evening of entertainment before the winners in each category are announced.

Commenting on her nomination, Kathy said: "I’m very surprised and pleased as there are so many incredible volunteers in the rescue sector dedicating their lives to animal welfare. The Launceston & District CP branch I volunteer for are an amazing team who give up all their spare time to care for and rehome cats and kittens all over North and SE Cornwall.

"I provide the feral work for the branch alongside a vet, Helen O'Hare. I go out all evening, in all weathers and get the cats to the vets for neutering, flea and worm treatment and ear tipping, then recover them and then drop them back.

"I also relocate any ferals to smallholdings and stables if they can't stay where they are. i.e if someone feeding them has died. I generally give 20-30 hours a week to CP as a volunteer. It’s exhausting work but very important."

Alison said: "It feels absolutely amazing and mystifying in equal measure. British Divers Marine Life Rescue is a little-known charity and yet it does such essential and difficult work with seals, dolphins, whales, turtles and even birds.

"If a member of the public is worried about a marine mammal anywhere in the UK - usually a seal, they call our hotline and we go to assess. If dolphins or whales get stranded, we’ll also attend the scene which can often mean being out in the sea in difficult conditions for many hours.

"I absolutely adore seals but mostly they don’t like me, which is how it should be, as they’re wild animals first and foremost. They are challenging, and often very, very sick.

"Some don’t make it and that breaks my heart a little bit more. Thankfully, we manage to save many that would most certainly have died without our intervention. 

"I feel incredibly privileged to be part of this amazing team and I’m only being considered for this award because of everything everyone else does around me. It is absolutely a team award as I could no way do all this on my own. 

"I do dedicate many, many hours and all Christmases and special holidays are always disrupted by callouts but luckily, my husband is totally supportive of my love of all things seal!"