A specialist organ donation nurse from Blackburn is the recipient of a local community honour in Blackburn. Angela Ditchfield will be presented with The John Roberts Outstanding Achievement Award 2019, sponsored by women’s refuge Humraaz, on the night of the One Voice Annual Dinner on Friday 22 February. One Voice is a community group in Blackburn.
Angela has worked as the diversity lead nurse for organ donation and transplantation, engaging with black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to increase understanding of organ donation and transplants.
In 2014, Angela was awarded the Mary Seacole Leadership award for research she had carried out in the Asian community where she worked.
This award allowed Angela to travel to South Korea to present her research at an international conference. She also travelled to the USA to spend time working with the organ donation teams there. She was also presented with NHS Blood and Transplant employee of the year.
Angela said, “It’s an absolute honour to have won this prestigious award. Working to raise awareness of organ donation within Muslim communities is an essential part of seeking to reduce inequalities in health. It is an issue I am passionate about and it is a pleasure working with such a responsive group.”
One Voice Chairman Abrar Hussain said, “We are delighted to present the Outstanding Achievement Award to Angela. She has worked outside of her normal work to come out to the Asian community and she has worked passionately with mosques and religious organisations. Angela has crucially dispelled myths around organ donation and has provided educational programmes for BME communities.
“Furthermore, she has used her work in Blackburn to influence decision making processes nationally within NHS BT.”
The Annual Dinner, now in its seventh year, celebrates the work of One Voice Blackburn, and also volunteers and community workers in Blackburn with Darwen.