An Amman Valley mother has been recognised for her phenomenal help she provides for people suffering with depression in the community.

Louise Craik, from Glanaman, was named the winner of the Community Champion award at Radio Carmarthenshire Local Hero Awards last month - which recognises and rewards the efforts of unsung local heroes.

The mother-of-three set up Shadows in January this year to help people suffering with depression on a voluntary and self-funded basis.

The 46-year-old said: “Both my daughters and my husband suffer with depression and that is main reason I set up Shadows.

“It took us two years to get somewhere with local GP’s so I decided to create this group where people can talk to each other and receive help.”

Louise unfortunately couldn’t attend the ceremony, but her daughter Hollie accepted the prize on her behalf.

When nominating her mum for the award, Hollie said: “The work my mum does for mental health is phenomenal.

“She took it upon herself to make a change by setting up the group and raising an amazing amount of money for charity.

“By doing this she has made such a positive impact on so many lives.

“She is the most selfless person I know and deserves all the recognition in the world."

Louise, who is a full-time manager in industrial services, is now aiming to open an out-of-hours service with Shadows from 10pm until 7am Friday and Saturday evening.

“We have so much planned for Shadows in the next few months.

"I am currently liaising with the organisations which will be able to drive people to and from Cwmaman Community Centre so they can receive the help that we provide,” said Louise.

“We already have a two designated 24-hour telephone helpline and there are 20 members of the group at the service which will help volunteer to run the out-of-hours service.

Commercial Director Kevin Hire said the event was a great success: “Ten deserving local people were called up on stage to receive the awards. Each award winner was inspirational for different reasons.

“It was a humbling experience to be able to shine the spotlight on people who do so much to make a difference in our community."

Shadow sessions take place every Monday from 6.30pm until 8.30pm Cwmaman Community Centre.

There are leaflets for Shadows at Swn y Gwynt, Brynteg Surgery and you can also visit the Shadows Facebook page.