A BOURNEMOUTH mum is in the running for a "volunteer of the year" award, thanks to her work for charity.

Laura Davies, from Winton, is in the final three contenders for the accolade in the Third Sector Awards for the support she has given to Young Women's Trust, an organisation which supports young women on low or no pay.

The 28-year-old says she has faced discrimination from employers because she is a mum, and knows what it is like to try to make ends meet while working on low pay.

Laura does not want others to face the same struggles as her and uses her experiences to speak out with Young Women’s Trust and make society better for the young women who come after her.

Alongside working and raising her son, Laura is a dedicated volunteer for the charity, having taken part in more than 70 voluntary opportunities for the charity since getting involved in 2015, from blogging and public speaking to campaigning and being a media spokesperson.

In particular, Laura has stood up for young mums, fighting for mums to be treated better at work, while campaigning for flexible working to help more parents into work, giving an inspiring speech about her experiences to an audience of politicians, journalists and supporters at a Young Women’s Trust event on gender equality at London’s City Hall.

She said: "I got involved with Young Women’s Trust as I wanted an opportunity to share my experiences and have my voice heard. I am honestly completely blown away and overwhelmed that I’ve been shortlisted for the award.

"I’m honoured to have a platform to use my voice and share my experiences in the hope for change. This is just the start of my journey for campaigning and volunteering and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on Thursday, September 20.