“The community comes out in force to support us, and the support is there”
Westmeath Independent Community & Sports Awards in association with Westmeath County Council
Volunteer of the Year finalist: Clare Lennon
Clare Lennon is nominated in the 'Volunteer of the Year' category in recognition of her longstanding commitment to the South Westmeath Hospice committee, which she has chaired for the last twelve years.
With a background in nursing and an interest in end-of-life care, Clare was a natural fit for the hospice group and didn't have to think twice when she was asked to join the committee in 2012.
In the years since then the committee, now known as South Westmeath Hospice Foundation, has been one of the most well-supported voluntary causes in the Athlone area.
That strength of public support was drawn on in particular during a battle to safeguard the service locally amid the closure of the St Vincent's Care Centre where it had been based.
Following a lengthy mediation process and years of engagement between the hospice group and the HSE, an agreement was reached for the service to successfully relocate to the new Heartlands Care Centre in Clonbrusk earlier this year.
When asked about her award nomination, Clare modestly deflected the attention to the other members of the board, expressing her gratitude to everyone involved for their support and commitment to the hospice over the years.
"We have a full board in place who are wonderful, so I am very surprised (by the award nomination)!" she said. "We are quite busy behind the scenes, but it works well because of the people we have on the board. We meet monthly and have decisions to make about how we spend our fundraising and how we support the services.
"We also meet regularly with the HSE to maintain a positive relationship with them."
She said the relocation of the hospice's four dedicated palliative care beds to the Heartlands Care Centre, which opened at the end of March, has been a smooth transition.
Married to Tommy, and the mother of three boys ranging in age from 13 to 7, Clare paid tribute to the local public in Athlone and its environs for its staunch support of the local hospice.
"It's a great committee to be involved in, because we know that whenever we need help we have always got that help and support," she said.
"At events like coffee mornings and sunflower days the community comes out in force to support us, and we always feel that the support is there."
The Volunteer of the Year finalists are Shay Hamilton, Maeve Harkins and Clare Lennon
The Volunteer of the Year Award is sponsored by Byrne Carolan Cunningham Solicitors