FORMER primary school headteacher Greta Davies does not think she is all that deserving of praise.

So the 67-year-old was stunned when she found out she had been nominated as the Adver’s Unsung Hero this week for her voluntary work at two churches in the town.

After being forced to take retirement from her beloved job as headteacher of Grange Infants School, in Lower Stratton, Greta found a natural urge to be busy while she was fighting cancer, and gradually picked up secretarial roles for the parochial church council’s of St Peter’s Church in Penhill and St Philip’s Church in Upper Stratton.

But her work does not stop there, as she is an ever-present at community and church groups and offers a welcoming smile to those who use the building.

“I genuinely don’t think I deserve it – I’m a bit shocked,” Greta said.

“I do all these things because I enjoy it and really I like to keep myself busy. I had to retire quite quickly and really I was too busy getting better to think about doing much else, but these things seemed to mount up.

“I’m very lucky to have beaten cancer and be able to carry on with things.

“I attend St Philip’s Church and am the secretary there, but when the two churches linked under one vicar a few years ago I started to come up to Penhill. It’s a thriving church and we get a lot of people from the community in too.”

Greta, who has been married to David for 28 years, can always be found at the Monday knitter natter group, Tuesday’s craft class, Wednesday’s tea andtoast drop-in and also bingo every Friday.

She said: “There’s a lot going on at this church, which is why I am so busy, but it’s great. “I only do all this stuff because I enjoy it but it is nice to be nominated and I shall have to thank them for doing so.”

Mel Bond, a health ambassador for the area based at the Penhill church, said Greta was fully deserving of the award, adding: “She’s very giving and always gives up her time to be here so she certainly deserves it.”