A WOMAN supporting breastfeeding mothers in Dursley has been nominated for a Pride of the Cotswolds award.

Marisa Dexter, who spent 30 years working as a counsellor for the National Childbirth Trust, has been nominated for a Volunteer Award.

She has helped run a weekly breastfeeding support group in Dursley, part of the Gloucestershire Breastfeeding Supporters’ Network, since the group was formed in 2004.

In that time she has given advice and support to hundreds of new mums.

Marisa said: “It’s really important because it gives ongoing support as well as immediate information.

“When you have your first baby you don’t know about all these things. It clearly fulfils some sort of need.

“We are now completely reliant on grants and fundraising. We couldn’t survive without people’s generosity.”

One person who nominated Marisa said: “Without Marisa’s contribution so many women would not have received the support they needed.”

Another said: “I would struggle to calculate the amount of time Marisa gives to the group but she is there every Monday without fail and even opens the group on bank holidays, often all by herself.”

Marisa said she was ‘completely amazed’ by the nomination.

“I am pleased someone thought I was worthy of it,” she added.

Nominations are open until July 28 through the Awards section of the website.