A WOMAN who fought tooth and nail to make Worsbrough Common a better place to live has been honoured for her years of hard work - the local community centre has been named after her.

Vera Mawby, 81, couldn’t hide her shock yesterday during the surprise unveiling of the Vera Mawby Centre sign at the community hub on Warren Quarry Lane.

“You buggers,” she said to staff and centre users. “I don’t know what to say. I’m lost for words.”

Vera is the founding member of Worsbrough Common Community Association which stepped in to save the centre from closure earlier this year due to council cutbacks.

When the association was launched 17 years ago, the area was regarded as one of the worst in Barnsley. Crime was rife, homes were dilapidated, the school was struggling and no-one wanted to live there.

Today it has been transformed and the community association has played a pivotal role in that improvement and Vera, whose family has run a local convenience store for almost 100 years years, is very proud.

“You have to wipe your feet before you come up the Common now,” she said.

The surprise was orchestrated by Dave Clayton, a trustee of the association, who said there is no person better than Vera who deserves the honour.