Tom Hill, CEO of Helen & Douglas House is delighted to inform our supporters that on Monday Sister Frances Dominica received the highly prestigious accolade of 'Woman of the Year' for her achievements in children's hospice work.

The Women of the Year Awards, which started in the mid-1950s, brings together outstanding women from all ages, backgrounds and walks of life, in recognition of their individual achievements.

Sister Frances was very pleased simply to be nominated but with her usual modesty, never imagined that she would be singled out for one of the four top awards from over 450 women whose works and achievements in their respective fields have made huge contributions to society. However, those of us who know her feel that Frances is very well-deserving of the title 'Woman of the Year'.

The award was kindly sponsored by Barclays Bank and the CEO of Barclays Retail Banking, Deanna Oppenheimer, said,
“We are proud to give our award to such an exceptional woman who has dedicated her life to helping children and young people with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families across the world. Sister Frances Dominica is truly an inspiration to us all, as the founder of the world’s first children’s hospice her work has had a positive and lasting impact on the lives of many."

Other winners included:

• Marguerite Patten (OBE), who was awarded The Women of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Elior for her outstanding contribution to cookery.
   
• Rose Molokoane, who was awarded the Women of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Good Housekeeping and announced by Comedian Victoria Wood. The award acknowledges and celebrates a phenomenal achievement against all odds by a woman whose indomitable spirit has shown the world that anything is possible.
   
• Jasvinder Sanghera, who was awarded the Women of the Year Window to the World Award sponsored by Pilkington UK plc and announced by presenter Shami Chakrabarti. This award salutes a woman whose courage and determination to bring to our attention the plight of other human beings – often at risk to herself – changes the way we think about the world.