The Community Hub at Larches held a milestone birthday celebration.

Around 20 local residents got together to celebrate Violet Fortt’s 101st birthday, with balloons, cake and party food.

Violet is an ex-seamstress from Ashton-on-Ribble, well-known for being the runner-up in the Pride of Britain Regional Fundraiser of the Year Awards.

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Violet was nominated for making over 1,200 poppies, raising more than £5,000 for the Royal British Legion, who honoured her with a long service award.

She started fundraising for the charity to help servicemen and woman, after her late husband, Dalton returned from World War II very sick, only weighing six stone.

Violet was also a victim of the war herself, injured during a bomb explosion but this did not stop her.

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Violet also used to be a treasurer at the former St Bernard’s Church, which is now the community hub at Larches, where she was in charge of the bingo.

Violet said: “It’s lovely to see what Emma and Luke (who opened the hub) have built up for the community.”

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