QUINTUPLET Sarah Needham’s determination to help others has seen her scoop a top university award.

Sarah, along with brothers and sisters Victoria, Craig, Cara and Philip, spent much of her teenage years carrying out household chores while fitting in school work when her mother Lesley became seriously ill with a brain abcess.

When she left Walshaw High School, in Burnley, Sarah volunteered to become a full-time carer to ensure her mum was looked after properly.

But despite this, the 23-year-old still managed to find time to join Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale’s Young Carers’ Project and become a volunteer to help other carers.

Her experience inspired her to help other people by volunteering for organisations looking after children and young people in the area.

But she was also determined to carry on with her education and juggle her responsibilities with taking classes.

Sarah, who left high school with Ds and Es, took an engineering courses at Nelson and Colne College and Burnley College then completed a degree in Active Citizenship and Volunteer Development at the University of Central Lancashire.

Now through her efforts she has been awarded the University’s Community Hero Award 2009.

She said: “My experiences at university and doing volunteer work has completely changed my life. It has seriously helped boost my self-confidence and self-esteem.

“I have been able to continue working on what I feel so passionate about as well as gaining a qualification.”

Rachel Thomson, senior campaigns officer at National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, said: “Hopefully millions of adults across the country will be inspired by Sarah’s story to take up learning and discover for themselves a whole new raft of opportunities.”