FROM small beginnings Liz Crook has come a long way in just a couple of years.

The single community shop she set up in Mill Hill, Blackburn, has now morphed into three shops and a warehouse – and she has no plans to stop there.

That determination and the hard work Liz and her volunteers put into community interest company Personalising Freedom, are just two of the reasons they are among the finalists for the Newcomer Award.

Liz, 47, said the company had two basic objectives: alleviating community poverty in Blackburn and Darwen and providing a support service for people who receive a care package through their local council.

She said: “We support people in making choices about their care and how it’s provided.

"Because we’re not aligned to any budget we can spend time with the client and find out exactly what they want and then advise them on what’s available. It allows people to have more choice and control and takes pressure off the carer.”

As well as the support service the company also has three community shops stocked with second-hand goods that can be used to help those in need or sold to the public to raise funds.

Liz said: “I put in the award nomination for the volunteers, not myself. What they do has a tremendous impact on the community; it’s very powerful.”