A CANCER research volunteer who has made 8,000 peg dolls for charity is celebrating 40 years of helping.

Dorothy Grills, 76, of Sarah Street, is the longest serving member of the Cancer Research UK Darwen branch.

The former Darwen mayoress has helped the charity to a £250,000 fundraising total since the branch was formed in 1959.

Mrs Grills, a former Crown Paints worker, also volunteered for the former Darwen-based lifeboat charity, has raised money for Derwent Hall and is president of the Ladies' Fellowship at Highfield Congregational Church on Highfield Road.

A new position of president was created at the Darwen branch of the cancer charity in order to reward her for 35 years' service.

What sets her apart from most, is that Dorothy spends an hour and a half creating a single peg doll to go on sale for the charity.

She has created around 8,000 dolls since learning the craft, which has generated thousands of pounds for the charity, sold at £1 each. She said: "I've been doing it for 15 years and I must have made hundreds of dolls.

"A demonstration was given at the church and I was the only one to take it up.

"You have to put a lot of time into making every single one.

"You take a traditional wooden peg, paint a face on and then you have to make arms and legs and dress it using different materials.

"Pipe cleaners are pushed down hollow shoe laces to make the arms and it's all very intricate."

Dorothy spent a year from 1968 to 1969 as Darwen mayoress, at the side of her husband Charles Richard.

She said: "It doesn't feel like I've been volunteering for 40 years. Time has flown by and I hope I can manage another ten years at least.

"Cancer is something that, luckily, hasn't affected my family that much but it's a word that everyone's afraid of and that's the reason people should give to the charity.

"I'm glad I have been able to spend so much time helping raise money to find cures for a disease that can cause such devastation."

Susan Whalley, chairman of the Darwen branch, who has notched up 24 years of volunteering, said: "We would like to thank Dorothy for her hard work and her total commitment to the charity. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to work with her and we hope she stays on for another ten years."

Dorothy was presented with a bunch of flowers and a certificate for her years of service.