Sense Awards 2024: Volunteer of the Year

Eden Byrne

Eden has been volunteering to support two disabled buddies despite a long COVID diagnosis which means she can’t leave the house.

Eden is a dedicated Virtual Buddy for Sense, volunteering with the project for over 18 months.

Sacha Hamed, Head of Volunteering at Sense, said:  “Eden is such an enthusiastic and dedicated person who will always go that extra mile with her volunteering, whether that’s signing up to additional training or offering to be interviewed for newsletters or social media.

“She always engages with any opportunity and we are thankful and lucky to have such a willing, caring and proactive volunteer. It’s fantastic that Eden has been recognised by the Sense Awards judges and that she’s won ‘Volunteer of the Year’ – it’s a great achievement and I hope Eden sees how valued she is by everyone at the charity.” 

Eden was diagnosed with Long COVID in March 2022, which has had a significant effect on her mental and physical health, and taking part in the buddying programme has had a positive impact on Eden and the two buddies she’s been paired with.

Eden can’t always leave the house because Long COVID affects her mobility and energy levels, but she can get involved in the buddying programme because it’s delivered remotely and is accessible.

I’m so honoured and delighted to win this award. I really love being a virtual buddy – it’s one of the things that I look forward to every week.

Eden