A committed volunteer at a charity shop in Aberdeen was presented with flowers and a brooch by her colleagues yesterday as she celebrated her 90th birthday.
Daisy Johnston works two days a week at the Stella’s Voice store on King Street and was praised for her dedication.
And at a time of life when most people stopped working long ago, she insisted she plans to keep on going.
She said: “I work for two days a week and I enjoy every minute of it.
“I retired at 60 but after two years I got bored and decided I had to do something to help people.
“I work mostly in the front of the house and I often see the same people come in and like to have a talk about their troubles as I serve them.”
Mandy Reid, the store manager, said: “We’re so lucky to have Daisy, she’s always pleased when do well and she keeps us all motivated.”
Stella’s Voice was set up in 1974 and now works to raise funds for orphans in Moldova.
Mrs Johnston added: “I’m always pleased when we raise money as it all goes to such a great cause.”
The store was visited on the day by the charity’s European director Mark Morgan, who was also full of praise for Mrs Johnston’s work.
He said: “She’s an inspiration to all of us.
“Some days it’s hard to get out of bed but when you see someone like her still going there are no excuses.”
He went on to describe the work of the charity.
He said: “We were formed in 1974 and our primary aim is to help the vulnerable.
“After the fall of the Berlin Wall we went into Romania and saw unbelievable destitution.
“In 1996 we went to Moldova where the situation was abhorrent.
“We run two homes for girls, one for boys and one orphanage over there.
“At 16 a lot of people get kicked out of orphanages and have nowhere to go.
“There is a danger that they will take a dodgy job and fall into the hands of traffickers and we work to prevent that from happening.”
