There’s no need to dress this up – Zoe is brilliant!

Zoe Renshaw has won a prestigious national award for her selfless voluntary work by being a lion, a frog, an elf – and a whoopee cushion!

In the last five years, the Lanes Group bid manager has spent many hours of her spare time helping a number of community groups, and is always willing to dress up as unusual characters to raise money.

Now Lions Clubs International has recognised her “outstanding” voluntary work by presenting her with a Bert Mason Humanitarian Award, one of the highest honours it can bestow.

Lanes Group Development Director Richard Leigh said: “Zoe is a very conscientious member of our bid team, and is kept very busy by us, which makes the extent of her voluntary work even more impressive. We’re very proud to have her as a Lanes colleague.”

Zoe, 33, is a member – a ‘Lioness’ – of the Littleborough and District Lions Club. Her fellow members have been so impressed with the extent of her voluntary work that they nominated her for the award.

It is given only to members of local communities in the UK and Ireland considered by Lions Clubs International to have demonstrated the greatest humanitarian spirit.

Zoe is Chairman of the Ellenroad Engine House Steam Museum, in Rochdale, Lancashire. She became a volunteer four years ago when she visited the museum, and could see how much they needed help.

At about the same time, Zoe joined the Lions Club. She has also raised £8,000 for Crohn’s and Colitis UK. She has Crohn’s disease, a chronic disease, which results in her needing regular hospital treatment.

Zoe, who works at the Lanes HQ offices in Eccles, Greater Manchester, organises an annual music festival for the charity and has run the London Marathon twice – once dressed as a whoopee cushion.

She is also a member of the Littleborough Events and Associations Forum (LEAF). Zoe helps organise an annual event to raise money for the local Christmas lights, during which she dresses up as one of Santa’s elves.

She also supports the Springhill Hospice, in Rochdale, by dressing up as its mascot – Springy the Frog – at their events.

Zoe was presented with the Lions humanitarian award in a surprise event at the museum. She said: “I came down from the office and there were 25 club members. It was a huge surprise. I felt very proud and honoured.

“I’ve only started my voluntary work in the last four or five years, beginning really with the steam museum. I didn’t even like steam engines that much, but I wanted to lend a hand.

“Now, I get lots of requests for help, and it’s difficult to say no, especially when there’s a chance to wear fancy dress!”

The Lions award is named after Bert Mason. In 1984 he was the first UK Lion to become the President of Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest community service organisation, with more than 1.4 million members.