HER tireless work for the good of the community has earned her the recognition of the High Sheriff of Wiltshire.

But Nazma Ramruttun had no idea she was about to be presented with the honour on Saturday when she attended a talk in Trowbridge looking at ways of dealing with extremism and religion.

Husband Darsun had to keep the secret as he took her to County Hall after hearing that Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Angus Macpherson had nominated his wife for the prestigious award.

After checking her ID on the way in she began to suspect something was going on. She said: “At reception they said, could I please wait there – I thought something was not right. Everyone else was going through and I had been stopped after showing my ID. We were then taken to the office of the chairman of Wiltshire Council Richard Britton.”

Here she was greeted by a group of assembled guests including Mc Macpherson, the High Sheriff, Lady Sarah Gooch the former Lord Lieutenant John Bush, Lady Hawley DL, Mr Gooch, Alan Jeans, Ahtsham Ali, the High Sheriff of Bristol Dr Ros Kennedy and the former High Sheriff of Bristol Shaheen Chawdry.

After a short introduction she was presented with a framed certificate in recognition of “great and valuable services to the community” by Lady Gooch.

Shocked, Nazma said she was lost for words and didn’t know what to say. “I was not prepared, I was speechless,” she said. “I didn’t know where to start, so I said ‘can I just ask a question please?’ I turned and looked at my husband and said ‘did you know about this?’ And he shook his head and smiled – everyone laughed and said he would be in trouble after that.”

The award came just a day before Mother’s Day and less than a week after her own 64th birthday last week. She described the award as not only a huge honour, but as a late birthday present.

Having put in a lifetime of work for the community she has served in roles include chairing Mental Health Act hearings, Voluntary Action Swindon and Broadgreen Organisation for Neighbourhood Development, been a member of Healthwatch and represented it on the steering group for nutrition at Great Western Hospital.

She has also been a school governor, a member of Swindon Old People’s forum and the Equality Coalition, a leading light in the twinning committee promoting links between Swindon and her birthplace, Mauritius, and she was instrumental in twinning Churchfields and Belle Rose State Secondary School in that country.

Nazma is also a trustee of Swindon Equality Access Group, a qualified counsellor, a driving force in the equality weeks held at Swindon College and New College and a former chair of the Millen Advice Point and Swindon Asian Women’s Association.

Mr Macpherson said: “I was delighted to nominate Nazma Ramruttun for a High Sheriff's award for her tireless work for the community in Swindon. I have known Nazma for about ten years and she is passionate about her work and highly respected by all sections of the community.”

After receiving her award she was able to join the rest of the guests at County Hall who had attended for the talk.

Her latest accolade comes after she was presented with the MTM Empowering Women award for the second year in a row in December, which was presented to her by The High Sheriff of Bristol Dr Ros Kennedy.