Community activist Gina Spence was yesterday honoured with a Community Service Award for 30 years of “dedicated voluntary service”.She said she was “humbled and grateful” for the accolade and had actually nominated someone else for the honour.She told The Royal Gazette: “I had nominated someone else [for the award] so when they called I thought they were calling about them and not me.”Ms Spence was nominated by members of the community for the award, which is presented on a quarterly basis by Bermuda CableVision.General manager Terry Roberson highlighted her charitable work and made special note of her campaign to support families touched by gun violence.“Gina is well-known and familiar to many as a community activist and the voice of Bermuda’s everyday people,” said Mr Roberson. “Gina is a lady with a heart of gold.”Gina Spence Productions in Christ was founded in 1979 to provide performing arts opportunities for those unable to pursue formal training.“I had a hard time growing up in foster care and I used the arts as my escape,” said Ms Spence. “This was my motivation for setting up a charity. I wanted to help others by offering them ways to express themselves creatively while producing something for the good of their community.“I was very grateful to CableVision for the recognition ... but it’s always about the volunteers for me, those who never make the front page of the paper or whose names you never hear. We’ve had volunteers for 30 years who are still with us.”Ms Spence added that receiving the honour had put her in mind of her late mother, who she said instilled in her the values she lives by.“It reflects well on my mom, who has been gone now for four years, I’m really appreciating how she raised us and what she taught us … it was always about giving, about helping and accountability and responsibility. Just little things like taking freshly-baked bread to a neighbour. I miss her, this whole week I’ve been thinking of her.”Community Development Minister Michael Weeks joined in the praise for Ms Spence’s charity work: “To have founded her own charity and to still find more time and energy for additional projects is outstanding. Gina is an incredibly valuable asset to our community.”As part of the award, CableVision has donated $1,000 towards Ms Spence’s latest project to hold training workshops to help community members assist people in crisis.