Rose, 71, from Choppington, Northumberland, first signed up as a GNAAS volunteer ground crew member in 2015.

Since then, she has helped bridge significant gaps in the income of collection tins by developing her own efficient collection system.

Rose is now the representative for a large area of Northumberland, servicing tins along the coast from Blyth in the south and as far as Catton in the north, as well as the inland areas around Bedlington to Alnwick.

She has since recruited her husband, Cliff Akenclose, 76, to help, by taking on the role as driver.

She said: “I’ve always been passionate about GNAAS and I think they do a wonderful job. They save lives and are able to get to places where other people can’t get.

“When Peter Moody, the volunteer coordinator, came on board he started looking after the tin run, and he has moved heaven and earth to get it to where it is now. Peter really listens to your ideas and we developed it from there on to create a system that works. “We always ring round beforehand to see whose tins need collecting and we organise our collections so they are in the same area, because it’s more cost effective that way. “We can do a lot in a day and get to meet different people and build a good rapport with them, so we quite enjoy it.”

The role of a collections volunteer is very flexible and can be carried out at a time that suits you. If you are interested in becoming part of our ground crew, visit our website at: www.gnaas.com/fundraise/volunteer