A VOLUNTEER from Bournemouth has scooped a national award for her work with young women on low or no pay.

Laura Davies, from Winton, won Volunteer of the Year in the Third Sector Awards for her commitment to the Young Women's Trust.

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 when you are working on low pay. She 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. She has taken part in more than 70 voluntary opportunities for Young Women’s Trust 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. She has shared her story on live television and radio. At the start of this year Laura gave 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’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.”