THE chairman of Darwen’s Jubilee Tower Credit Union has paid tribute to a very special volunteer, Dorothy Cocks.

Dorothy, 85, volunteered at the Bolton Road credit union for more than 13 years and became an integral part of the everyday management of financial services centre.

The much-loved mother, gran and great grandma died suddenly on Saturday and Janice Parker, from the credit union, said that all the volunteers and staff had had a ‘tough week.’ She said: “It’s terribly sad and everyone will miss Dorothy greatly.

“She was a wonderful person and without her dedication to the credit union we wouldn’t be able to do the good work we do now.”

Dorothy began her voluntary work in 1997 and only stopped in 2010 because she could no longer manage the stairs.

She became a great asset to the organisation and continued to improve her skills over the years, becoming computer literate and taking up responsibilities as assistant trea- surer, Janice added.

“Dorothy was one of those people who wanted to get involved and when she got involved with the Credit Union, she couldn’t stop being involved.

“It’s very unusual to find someone who is willing to volunteer for so many years and I know that she would have carried on if she could.”

Dorothy lived in The Albany in Darwen and was a great friend of Lillian Scott, whose list of voluntary community achievements was so great that she was named as one of Blackburn with Darwen’s most outstanding women of the 20th century in a special ceremony in 2000.

Janice said: “Dorothy and Lillian were great friends and the two of them gave so much to the community.

“We are all really, really upset. The work she did was just phenomenal.

“She was a stalwart of the organisation and although we are sad, we know we have to carry on and continue with the work that she supported so greatly.”