A 'DEDICATED' woman who has taught thousands of children how to swim has been given an award for her hard work.

Tamsin Brewis, who runs Water Babies in Middleton Road, Banbury, was named an 'unsung hero' at the company's annual conference.

The 55-yer-old mum-of-two was also crowned ‘The Thing’ in all things Water Babies – a special recognition award given to the most dedicated contributors to the network.

She said: “I was over the moon when I was announced as the winner.

"‘The Thing’ basically means that, if you were to cut me in half, like a stick of rock, I would read Water Babies through the middle – which isn’t far from the truth.

"It’s lovely to have been recognised by my peers and to be congratulated for a job well done. I am so proud of what I have achieved and sharing my insight with others just comes naturally to me."