The founder and chairman of a South Hams charity has won the national inspirational woman of the year award at the NatWest Venus Awards 2017.

The Venus Awards were formed in 2009 to recognise, reward and celebrate local working women in business.

Kay O’Shaughnessy, the chairman of trustees for the charity Friends and Families of Special Children has been labelled as a “deserving winner” of the award, who has “worked so hard to get the charity to where it is”.

Kay founded the group in 2002, which began only as a small group of parents, after identifying a huge gap in service provision for children with disabilities and their families within Plymouth and the surrounding areas.

The group gained charitable status in 2005 and has now become one of the main providers of integrated and leisure services within the local area. Many families who use the services that the charity provides have described it as a “life saver”.

Many of the charity’s families live in Ivybridge and so, the charity runs regular sessions for families at Hannah’s Hub and Dame Hannah Roger’s School, where Kay’s daughter also attends.

A parent commented: “We are so grateful we can have unforgettable days out thanks to the events that are put on.”

Kay’s charity is continuing to grow and is now looking forward to running more fundraising events in Plymouth and the surrounding areas, so that they can continue to improve and build on the services that they provide.