A PAIR of charitable women from Malmesbury are celebrating winning the same global award.

Denise Little and Fiona Scott have been recognised by the Lift Effects organisation which celebrates people who have sacrificed their time and energy to do good things within communities around the world.

Denise works for the youth network at The Oxford Practice, helping young people with a wide variety of issues, while Fiona, who runs a media consultancy business, takes it upon herself to offer at least two free projects every year to charities in Wiltshire.

Denise has helped hundreds of young people over the last 20 years with issues ranging from anxiety and domestic violence, to depression and eating disorders.

On receiving the award, she said: “I was quite shocked, it’s as if I don’t feel as though I deserve it.

“I love doing what I do but I never thought of it as different or special.”

However, she goes above and beyond the call of duty to help her clients, making herself available in between sessions by sending text messages and emails to her clients to keep up the support that she gives.

Denise talked about one particular client who came to her so depressed he could hardly get out of bed in the mornings but after receiving help from her at the Oxford Practice, he has now gone on to set up his own business.

She said: “It’s amazing to see him making such a success of himself.

“I get a lot of people who say they don’t know how to say thanks, they say it doesn’t seem enough so in a way this is one way of saying it.”

Fiona, who has a background in journalism, was made redundant in 2009 and decided to set up a media consultancy business.

She said: “I make it a rule in my business to always do at least two free projects per year to help charities spread the word.”

One of the charities that Fiona helped recently was HEALS.

“I believe that people shouldn’t do this sort of things just to get accolades, you should do it because you want to be a part of your community", she said.

“I really care about the county that I live in and I was amazed that anyone had noticed, it’s really humbling.”

The two women will collect their awards at an event in June.