Zara Phillips may have caused something of a stir when she was named Sports Personality of the Year.

The debate on whether or not the Queen’s granddaughter deserved it or not may rumble on for months, with opinion fairly evenly divided so far.

But there was no question that another gong given out during the glitzy celebrations hosted by Gary Lineker certainly did find its way to the right recipient.

Shropshire’s Val Hanover was presented with the Unsung Hero award, for her work raising funds and helping to organise the North Shropshire Special Olympics Club, and no two words could be more apt.

Val impressed the judges with her sense of commitment but her modesty is equally touching. She really is what an unsung hero should be: she has no aspirations to be in the limelight but a distinct dedication to helping those in need.

It almost seemed difficult for her when I offered my congratulations on such a wonderful achievement, but that’s because awards, while her recent accolade was very welcome, are really not what Val is all about.

Getting the best out of and for her “surrogate family” is.

The point at which her voice sounded most excited was when we talked about how it would raise the profile of her work on a national level.

She knows only too well that after 40 years working with people with learning disabilities, and almost 30 being a key player with the Special Olympics organisation, that publicity is a vital tool – both for recruiting vital volunteers and raising much-needed cash.

These are the kind of tasks which keep Val occupied most of the time despite the fact that she retired early from her “day job” in 1998 after an accident.

She laughs when she admits that she still works full time but for a cause which is very dear to her heart.

Val first found she had a connection with people with learning disabilities when she volunteered at a specialist centre when taking the Duke of Edinburgh Award in her teens. Her first job was in the finance department of a local council but she found that “boring” and longed for something where she could give more to others.

She saw an advert for a job at a day centre and wasted no time in applying. It was in 1978 when, as manager, she received a letter seeking people who would like to get involved in helping out with the Special Olympics, a body which had taken inspiration from the first games organised in America.

“They held a general meeting in the West Midlands and I went along and it all started there really. From there on I was just completely hooked. I just wanted to keep working to make it possible for such events to happen in Britain.”

She was appointed as the secretary of the West Midlands Special Olympics in 1980 and the first national games were held in 1982. Val is currently chairman of the West Midlands organisation and still enjoys every minute of it – especially watching all the competitors and their achievements.

She was recently in Rome with some of the members of the North Shropshire Olympics for the European games and they will be heading out to Shanghai next year for the World Games.

“It is wonderful to see how well they have done. It’s marvellous really, and our members love taking part in the games,” said Val.

“They really are like my family. They spend time here at the house and we have special celebrations and birthdays here.”

But each wonderful achievement doesn’t come cheap, and it means the work for Val goes on.

“Fundraising is a constant because I don’t think people always realise how much it can cost – up to £2,000 each when our members compete at European and world level,” said Val.

“But it is worth every penny to see what they get out of it, and for Britain to be producing such talented sportsmen and women. We would love to attract more fundraisers to help us out. The major charities have professional fundraisers and that’s something we cannot compete with.

“But we also need to recruit more volunteers for our training sessions which are held on a regular basis. “Some of our volunteers are now over 70 and we really could do with more young people coming forward.

“We have found it difficult to recruit volunteers but I think a lot of organisations have the same problem. People don’t seem to have as much time as they used to.”

But Val is hoping that her success at the weekend at Birmingham’s NEC may bring them an extra boost. During the evening Val mingled with top sportsmen adding that they were all friendly and supportive of her work.

“I talked particularly to Phil Taylor and Alan Shearer and they were lovely. But I’m just glad that it will raise the profile of the Special Olympics. I’m sure there were so many people watching who may be able to help.”

Val also has another battle on her hands to save the Oswestry and Shropshire Citizen’s Advocacy, or OSCA, which supports people with learning disabilities.

Their funding is running out and the committee, of which Val is a member, is now desperately trying to save it.

If determination and selfless commitment can do the trick then I think Val is well on her way to stopping yet another vital service being lost.

By Tracey O’Sullivan