NOMINATOR

Name: Harry Keogh
Job Title: Fundraising Officer
Organisation: Asthma Society of Ireland

NOMINEE

Background and Extent of fundraising undertaken: It is impossible to quantify the amount raised by Anne during her 21 years of fundraising. She has inspired so many other people to fundraise for the Society and has raised so much awareness, as well as monetary funds, through local events and by acting as a media spokesperson for the Society.

Every World Asthma Day she travels to Dublin to help out other volunteers in any activities taking place on the day and every year she organises, and supports others in organising, a host of fundraising events in the Wexford area.  A mother of eight, she is often helped in her fundraising by her husband Joe, her children and even her grandchildren.

Over the past 12 months alone she has organised a supermarket bag packing event, helped a local group to organise a football tournament, had church gate collections at 9 different masses in one weekend, offered support to a local group organising a clay pigeon shoot in memory of a friend who had died from an asthma attack, helped organise a variety show, and persuaded 42 local women to participate in the mini-marathon on behalf of the Society.  All this combined with her job as a childminder in Enniscorthy.

• Distinctiveness of the effort: Because of Anne Robinson the Asthma Society of Ireland has been able to expand its range of patient information materials to help provide accurate and accessible information to help Irish asthmatics to understand and effectively manage their condition.  One of the campaigns that has been possible because of Anne's dedication and commitment is the "Reach Your Peak with Asthma" campaign, which provides information and advice on how best to manage asthma during sports and exercise. Her fundraising also supports one of our most important patient services, the Asthma Helpline.  Anne is passionate about this service and often encourages parents or asthma patients in her community to call and get information and support from the asthma nurse specialist.  She will often phone herself to get advice for neighbours or friends, or to order them a Peak Flow Meter and a Personal Asthma Action Plan so that they can monitor and manage their own condition effectively.

• Longevity: Anne became involved with the Society in 1988 after the sudden death of her son Alex.  The family and the local community were shocked; they didn't know that someone could die from asthma.  The autopsy revealed that Alex had an over reliance on his reliever inhaler and had no preventer inhaler.  Anne wanted to do something to create awareness about this.  She decided to organise the first public meeting in Enniscorthy, and the event was packed. Since that day she has continued her efforts to raise both awareness and funds for the Society. Her aim is to prevent other mothers from going through what she has gone through.

• Innovation: Through her fundraising Anne has engaged people of all ages in her local community, with the help of her children and grandchildren.

  Her vision and determination are unparalleled.  There is no event too large or no task too arduous.  She is an ambassador for the Society 24 hours a day and consistently spreads the Society's message in her local area, engaging all members of the community through her passion and dedication.   

  Anne's work in the community, whether fundraising or raising awareness of asthma, is an inspiration to all of us.  Her goal is to help prevent other unnecessary asthma deaths and through her involvement in community fundraising she engages her entire community in a positive and inspiring way.  This is evident in the way she is able to inspire so many others to raise funds for the Society, and in the way the community comes together to support her in whatever fundraising activity she engages in.  In our view Anne's history as a fundraiser with the Society illustrates the true meaning of community fundraising and her 21 years as a community fundraiser and activist are a fitting tribute in memory of her son Alex.

• Leading by example: Anne Robinson is a member of our Board of Directors, and of its Fundraising Subcommittee.  No one who hears her story fails to be moved by it and by her obvious passion and commitment to the cause of eliminating deaths from asthma.  She talks openly of the tragedy to everyone she meets, because she hopes that by spreading the message she can stop someone else from going through the same experience.  She is passionate about patient education and correct management of the condition.  Had they known in 1988 about the importance of a preventer inhaler, and the dangers of over dependence on the reliever inhaler, Alex's death may have been prevented.  She works tirelessly to spread this message to other families and asthma patients. From that first meeting to today Anne has honoured her son's memory by devoting herself to educating people about asthma and raising funds to allow the Asthma Society of Ireland to continue it's education and patient information services, in her own words, "We wanted to tell people that if they are not satisfied, that there are specialist doctors there to look after their children and themselves, I want to show people that there is help out there from the Asthma Society of Ireland". Anne Robinson is the foundation stone on which the Asthma Society of Ireland is built.