FILM star Dame Helen Mirren has climbed aboard a charity set up to restore a historic boat which played a key part in Dunkirk... and even featured in the Hollywood movie.

The actress has been made patron of the Leigh Endeavour Trust, a charitable organisation set up in 2001, to maintain the wartime cockle boat.

Endeavour was one of six cockle boats in Leigh to be acquired by the Navy to be part of Operation Dynamo, which remains the biggest evacuation in military history.

The boat featured in the 2017 film Dunkirk, which was written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan.

Dame Helen, who was raised in Leigh, was approached by the charity bosses to join the charity’s crew.

A charity spokesman said: “It is well known that Dame Helen Mirren lived her early years with her family in Leigh where they were involved in the community, and people remember them fondly.

“In September, the chair of the Leigh Endeavour Trust, Michael King, contacted Dame Helen with details of Endeavour and the role the boat played in Operation Dynamo in Dunkirk in 1940. He explained how Endeavour has been restored and is now central to many activities.

“He invited Dame Helen to lend her name to our trust, as patron, and she enthusiastically agreed, so we are delighted to be able to announce Dame Helen Mirren becomes the first patron of the Leigh Endeavour Trust.”

Little ships, such as Endeavour, played an important role in the evacuation.

Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay, who co-ordinated Operation Dynamo, and his team quickly realised small boats would be able to get closer to the beach and ferry the troops out to the larger ships waiting in the wings.

John Lamb, Tory councillor for West Leigh said: “I think it is great that Helen Mirren has been made a patron of the charity.

“She is a brilliant actress and is well known in films and the industry. I hope she will represent Leigh and Southend well and I wish her well.

“It has a great history and goes back to Dunkirk and is also known as a cockle boat so this is good news.”