Pride of Britain 2021: Sarah Parsons named Granada Reports Fundraiser of the Year
Watch the moment Sarah Parsons finds out she is a Pride of Britain winner.
It's the return of the Pride of Britain awards, where we celebrate some of those whose fundraising has made a big difference in their community.
We are very proud to announce that this year's regional award winner is Sarah Parsons!
Sarah will now represent the Granada Reports region at the national awards ceremony on October 30.
Sarah's daughter Maggie was stillborn, two days before her due date, six years ago. Since then, she has dedicated her life to raising money to help grieving parents in a similar situation to cope with the loss of their baby.
She raises money for 'cuddle cots' - a bespoke cot with a cold unit underneath which preserves the baby’s body so that parents and families can spend time with them after they pass away.
Through online auctions, she raises funds to provide cuddle cots for hospitals and funeral homes across the UK, including Royal Blackburn Hospital, Burnley Hospital and Wolverhampton Hospital.
Sarah also creates and donates memory boxes which parents use to make special memories with their babies.
So far, Sarah has raised over £60,000 and does not plan on stopping her fundraising mission in her daughter’s name any time soon.
She has recently raised enough to provide a new cuddle cot to a local funeral home and dedicates her days to Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy.
Sarah shares her fundraising story with Zoe Muldoon.
After being surprised with her award, Sarah said:
"This award isn't just for me. This is for every angel parent that gets up every day and carries on with their lives, they are absolute warriors...it's for all of us."
What is Pride of Britain?
Pride of Britain Awards celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable people who make our world a better place.
Nominated by the public, the winners are from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the country. Their achievements are awe-inspiring and a lesson to us all. They say they are ordinary people, but their acts are truly extraordinary.Since the first Pride of Britain in 1999, royalty, prime ministers, and hundreds of leading figures from showbiz, sport, politics and the arts have all taken part.
Hosted by Carol Vorderman, the Awards attract an audience of around five million viewers every year in a primetime slot on ITV - making it the highest rated awards show of its kind on British television.