A CHURCH volunteer has been named by Soroptimist International Bolton as the winner of its 2020 Young Achiever award.

Caitlin Whittle, from Johnson Fold, has been a regular and active member of her local youth club since it started in 2016.

She successfully completed her Duke of Edinburgh Award bronze award last year.

The volunteering section of the programme took her to St Peter’s Church where she helped lead the children and families group Messy Church.

And she continued to volunteer there long after she had completed her Duke of Edinburgh course.

Youth leader Sarah Saxon nominated her for the Young Achiever award.

She told the Bolton News: “What gives me the greatest joy in my job is seeing young people like Caitlin, who have experienced challenging circumstances at a young age, prove that there is so much good and potential in young people.”

The Young Achiever award was launched by the Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Linda Thomas, on behalf of the Soroptimists in May.

The thinking behind it is to celebrate those girls who have demonstrated personal achievement in various categories.

Carole Swarbrick, president of SI Bolton, which is now 82-years-old, said: “It is a pleasure to recognise the amazing achievements of young women in our town and Caitlin is a worthy winner.”