OCCUPATIONAL therapist Jackie Brooks has received a national award for her ‘tireless fundraising’ for the Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull.
Despite spending all her working hours at the new state-of-the-art centre in Marsh Lane Jackie has also devoted her spare time to raising much-needed funds for the cause so the hospice can continue to support terminally ill patients and their loved ones.
So far she has raised more than £84,000 for the charity – and her amazing efforts have seen her awarded a Halifax Giving Extra Award after being nominated by the mother of one of her patients.
Commenting on her award Jackie said: “I’m blown away to have been nomindated and selected, but this really isn’t about me it’s all about my patients.”
Awards ambassador, TV and Heart FM presenter Jenni Falconer, added: “Jackie truly deserves this recognition for all she has done to help others, improve community life and has made a real difference to the people living in Solihull.”
Jackie is devoted to fundraising for the patients.
She is always embarking on a new challenge and is currently preparing to cycle the Canadian Rockies, snowshoe across Lapland, trek along the Jurassic Coast line and take on the Great Wall of China for a second time to help raise vital funds for the hospice.
Each event she has done has been in memory of or honour of a patient she has looked after or is looking after.
She added: “We are the arms, legs and eyes of our patients and if we raise money in their honour then so be it, we do these events for them – not for us.
“I have been doing all these events with a colleague and every time we complete a challenge we hold up a sign that was handmade for us some years back which reads ‘This Is For You’ and we take a picture and give it to the patient or their family.
“I will continue to do all I can for Marie Curie while I can because you never know what will happen tomorrow.”
The 67 local award winners have been given vouchers worth £250 and will have a chance to become one of seven regional winners to represent their region, who will each be given £500 in vouchers and a £500 donation to a local good cause.
The national winner of the awards will be chosen from this seven and will be announced later this month – they will be awarded vouchers worth £2,500 and a £5,000 donation to a local good cause of their choice.