A customer services consultant has been shortlisted for a BBC Radio Nottingham Make a Difference Award because of her dedicated volunteering and fundraising for local charity Jigsaw Support Scheme.

For several years kind-hearted Izabella Zygmunt, who works at the Nottingham Building Society’s Mansfield branch, has been a supporter of the charity that provides services and support to enable vulnerable people to live better, safer and happier lives.

Backed by The Nottingham, which offers all employees two days’ paid time off per year to volunteer with deserving local causes, Izabella has done many things that have positively impacted Jigsaw’s service users. They include:

• Being on the other end of a telephone to listen to and support vulnerable people
• Giving up many hours of her time to carry out a wide range of tasks for the charity
• Organising in-branch fundraising initiatives for Jigsaw
• Forgoing gifts and cards on her own birthday – including her 50th – and asking family and friends to donate to the charity instead
• Crocheting around 100 Bella’s Angels to raise money for the charity

Izabella (above right) has been nominated in the volunteering category by Jigsaw’s Alison Waring (above left), who said: “Izabella is a beautiful person who has enriched our charity in so many ways. She’s volunteered for quite a while now, giving up her time to support in areas such as end-of-life care and music therapy. She always goes above and beyond, even in difficult situations.

“Nothing is too much for her. If she can’t do a home visit she will do telephone befriending instead, and she has foregone birthday presents to fundraise for us instead – money that has gone towards musical instruments, CDs and food for our afternoon teas.

“She does all of this despite working full-time and having a family in this country and in Poland and is an inspirational example of a volunteer making a difference to people’s lives.”

Izabella added: “I’m really humbled by this, and it is a total surprise. Regardless of whether I win – I’m told there are some other wonderful volunteers shortlisted too – I’m just happy to do anything I can to help a fantastic charity run, and accessed, by amazing people.”

Winners will be announced at the BBC Radio Nottingham Make a Difference Awards event at The Nottingham Contemporary on Wednesday, 21st September.