Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation honours Ballina volunteer as 2026 hospice hero
Joan Bourke has been recognised for more than three decades of dedication ahead of the Hospice Sunflower Days campaign
Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation has honoured long-serving volunteer Joan Bourke as its 2026 Hospice Hero in recognition of her decades of fundraising and community service.
Ms Bourke, who leads the Ballina Support Group, received the award from broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan during a special ceremony at St Francis Hospice held to launch the 2026 Hospice Sunflower Days 2026 campaign.
Joan was among 13 volunteers from across Ireland recognised for their exceptional contribution to hospice and palliative care fundraising.
A familiar figure in Ballina, Ms Bourke has volunteered with the hospice foundation for 32 years. Her work includes organising volunteers for Sunflower Days collections, coordinating fundraising materials, managing local coin collection boxes and volunteering in the Ballina Hospice shop.
CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, Martina Jennings, said Joan’s commitment had made a lasting impact.
“We are thrilled to acknowledge Joan’s hard work and dedication by awarding her as our Hospice Hero,” she said. “Joan goes above and beyond for all campaigns and continues to give tremendous support to the Foundation.”
This year marks the 36th anniversary of Hospice Sunflower Days, with on-street collections taking place from Thursday, June 11 to Saturday, June 13, 2026.
Volunteers will be collecting in towns and villages across Mayo and Roscommon to raise funds for local hospice and palliative care services. Organisers emphasised that all money raised locally remains within the local community.