Pride of Britain: Tewkesbury woman stunned into silence after winning regional award

  • Watch the moment a former bank manager turned local fundraiser is stunned into silence as she's surprised with a Pride of Britain award

Carol Crilly, from Tewkesbury, was expecting to be going for a coffee when she was met by ITV News West Country reporter Caron Bell and a group of her friends and family.

"Ah Carol, fancy seeing you here. How are you?", said Caron as Carol's friends erupted into cheers and applause.

"I am thrilled to announce - she's absolutely lost for words. Carol, I've never seen you like this before.

"I am thrilled to announce Carol that you are the regional winner of the Pride of Britain award, so please do us the honour of accepting this trophy," Caron went on to say to a stunned Carol.

After spending more than a minute in shock, Carol said: "I'm absolutely gobsmacked.

"Honest to God, I had no - I never expected this, at all.

"I mean, it's not just me, it's loads of people that do stuff, it's not just me, and I don't know what to say! I really don't know what to say.

"Thank you, thank you so much. Mary, thank you for nominating me, thank you."

Carol was stunned into silence for more than a minute when she was surprised by her friends and family

Carol was shortlisted for the Pride of Britain award in the West Country by her friend Mary Butcher, who decided it was high time all her hard work got wider recognition.

The former bank manager leads the teams that put together the Tewkesbury Big Weekend - an annual festival of fun and fundraising - and the Tewkesbury Christmas Lights. But perhaps Carol's biggest achievement has been raising more than £180,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, often through her so-called Pudding Club.

Staring around the cafe filled with her friends and family, Carol said: "I can't believe who's here. We've got my sons, and my husband... I'm just flabbergasted"

"And your daughter's here", remarked her daughter Caroline, to much laughter.

Carol hugging her daughter, Caroline, who said the whole family is 'so, so proud' of her

One of the judges for the Pride of Britain awards, triple gold medalist and Olympic rower Helen Glover MBE said: "Carol just seems like one of those people that I want to know.

"If anything needs organising, I feel like I could ring up Carol. And the fact that she puts her retirement years into such amazing use - to be going out and fundraising for incredible causes, and bringing the community together as well.

"I think that after a really tough few years, to have a community come together, with a sense of this collective motivation about we're here to help other people out... She's just an amazing lady," Helen added.

Carol responded by saying, "I love her. She's got good taste."

Olympian and Pride of Britain judge Helen Glover MBE said Carol was an "amazing lady" and someone she'd "wanna know"

Speaking about her mum winning the award, Caroline said: "She's fantastic. She is fantastic. Everyone says they've got a great mum, but I really do. We would be nothing without her, she holds everything together, she is the family glue.

"We joke and say that actually, 'my mum is trying to change the world one charity at a time'. If anyone asks her to do something, she does it, there's no question.

"We would be nothing without her, she's brilliant, we're so, so proud of her."

Catherine North, fundraising director for Macmillan southwest, added: "Charities couldn't exist without the Carol's off this world.

"I've worked with Carol for 20 years and whatever I ask her to do, she says yes and she's absolutely amazing at and very deserving. So, well done."

The award means Carol is now invited to the national Pride of Britain awards ceremony hosted by Carol Vorderman in London next month.