A PASSIONATE painter and committed volunteer was surprised with a community award for her services to the arts.

Caroline Day, a former art teacher and senior lecturer, was presented with the Swindon Does Arts Hero Award at the Town Gardens after receiving a nomination from one of her many supporters, Carol Watts, for her work co-ordinating workshops at the Little Big Festival.

“I’m really touched and honoured to have received it,” said Caroline, 43, of Old Town.

“I had contacted Josie Williams who co-ordinates the Town Gardens Little Big Festival to run some workshops and when she found out my background she asked me to co-ordinate all the visual arts for the festival.

“I am honoured to have been given such a responsibility on such a big project. Hopefully I have motivated children in Swindon to produce more work.”

She added: “My dad Ray Fisher was mayor of Swindon and my parents were big community members and I was always in awe of them. I hope I’m following in their footsteps by giving back to Swindon.”

Carol said: “She is the sort of person who just gets on with things and has been an absolute godsend to Josie Williams and the community.

“If we had a few more like her the world would be a much easier place.

“Caroline really is an unsung hero embracing the ethos of The Little Big Festival ‘by the people, for the people’.

To find out more about Caroline and her community art group visit the Old Town Gardens’ Art Work – Swindon page on Facebook.