A remarkable Lurgan woman who raised over £1 million for Evora Hospice (formerly Southern Area Hospice) has been recognised for her efforts with a prestigious Pride of Britain awards’ nomination.
Deserving nominee, Deirdre Breen has been actively engaged in fundraising for the Hospice for over 20 years.
In 2000 – alongside her friend Ann Dalzell – Deirdre formed ‘Friends of Southern Area Hospice’ and since then Deirdre and Ann have worked tirelessly in fundraising for the vital hospice services.
Her mission was to raise £1 million before their 25th anniversary and miraculously in December 2024, they hit that target!
In 2023, she also scooped the Fundraiser of the Year Award in Armagh I‘s People of the Year Awards for her unwavering dedication.
And, now Deirdre has received further recognition of her work with a nomination for the prestigious Pride of Britain Awards.
The Pride of Britain awards recognise heroes from across Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales who have made a positive impact in their community. Deirdre featured on UTV last week due to her nomination for the prestigious awards.
Speaking of their immense pride and appreciation of Deirdre, Damien Hillen – Director of Development Evora Hospice Care – said: “Deirdre represents everything that is good about fundraising.
“Her dedication, her energy and her quiet determination have raised an incredible one million pounds for our hospice, but her impact goes far beyond that.
“She has inspired a generation of supporters, brought people together year after year, and made a real difference to the lives of families across our community. I have seen first-hand the respect and admiration people have for her.
“She is an exceptional person, a true force for good.”
Liz Cuddy, CEO of Evora Hospice, adds: “Raising such an incredible amount was not the result of one big event. It came from thousands of small actions carried out year after year by someone who truly believes in the difference hospice care makes.
“Deirdre and the Friends of Evora Hospice have organised and supported coffee mornings, concerts, park runs, and countless other events.
“She has spent evenings packing hampers, weekends standing in the cold at fundraising events, and most of her free time thinking about how to raise the next amount.
“The money she has raised has helped care for thousands of people with life-limiting illness. It has supported their families, provided comfort at the end of life, and offered emotional support after loss.
“Evora Hospice relies heavily on fundraising to keep its services going and Deirdre’s work has made a real and lasting impact. Her contribution is woven into the lives of so many patients and families.
“Most of them will never meet her, but they have felt the benefit of what she continues to do, year after year,” she adds.
Evora Hospice provides expert palliative care across Armagh, Down and Tyrone, supporting Southern Health and Social care Trust patients for over 35 years with compassion, dignity, and specialist support.
