AN INSPIRATIONAL variety show producer became a star for the evening when she won a top award at a glitzy award ceremony.

Shirley Burns has worked tirelessly to run the 2nd Crowthorne cub group, as well as staging the spectacular South East Berkshire Scout Gang Show for the last 30 years.

On Monday she got the chance to meet EastEnders' Patrick Trueman and BBC Berkshire's Andrew Peach and Debbie McGee as she collected the 2009 Creative Hero Award at the glamorous 4th Pride of Bracknell awards at the Grange Hotel.

Shirley said: "It's wonderful to have won, a really great honour to be picked from so many deserving people.

"I really was not expecting it because there were lots of people on the list, but I'm thrilled to bits." Every year Shirley, from Crowthorne, auditions hundreds of scouts for starring and backstage roles in the Gang Show at South Hill Park to raise money for charity.

She starts preparing the annual show long before rehearsals begin in September for the 100-strong cast and gives up every Sunday afternoon until the show opens in February to ensure that the performance is the best it has ever been.

She said: "I don't know about being a hero but it's great to have won and it's nice to belong to Bracknell.

"Next year's Gang Show will be bigger and better than ever." Over the years the 73-year-old has changed the lives of so many of young children it is impossible to count, but Clare Heffill who nominated Shirley is convinced she made a real difference. She said: "I nominated her for changing the lives of many local children, making thousands of children good citizens and giving them the confidence to face the outside world." Even in her moment of glory the modest hard-working great-grandmother was quick to praise the other nominees. She said: "It's nice that so many people have been invited here tonight and are getting their recognition they so thoroughly deserve. I'm not sure I deserve this any more than them, but it has been wonderful."