We are delighted that Mandy has been announced as a finalist in the ‘Outstanding Individuals’ category of the 2023 National Lottery Awards.
A bereaved Flintshire Mum working tirelessly to improve the lives of young cancer patients in memory of her teen son is in line for special recognition after being nominated in the ‘outstanding individuals’ section of the 2023 National Lottery Awards.
The National Lottery Awards are the annual celebration of the ordinary individuals and organisations who do extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding.
Mandy Giddins from Flint, who lost her 18-year-old son Jordan to a rare blood disease and cancer in 2017, has been shortlisted for a Special Achievement Award in the outstanding individual’s section of this year’s Awards in recognition of her unwavering efforts in improving the lives of young cancer patients with practical support and special gifts.
This year, 3,780 people and projects throughout the UK were nominated for the National Lottery Awards in recognition of their unwavering efforts to improve their community. After a panel sifted through the thousands of nominations, Mandy is now one of only five individuals across the UK shortlisted in the Special Achievement category, waiting to see if she will be crowned outstanding UK individual in her group.
Jordan’s positive attitude and good humour in the face of adversity inspired Mandy, a Nurse Practitioner, to do something worthwhile to continue his legacy – and Giddo’s Gift was born.
With support from The National Lottery Community Fund, Mandy, through Giddo’s Gift, has raised more than £350,000 to improve the lives of 13 to 24-year-olds who have cancer across North Wales and Northwest England after seeing the impact of the illness on Jordan and his peers. Giddo’s Gift has worked with hundreds of families to date, providing wishes for at least 50 children a year, on top of other support services.
Support ranges from gifts such as laptops, phones and consoles for long hospital stays, to practical kit such as oscillating boxes so they can have transfusions at home. The charity also offers bereavement grants and memory boxes to families who lose a young person, as well as promoting awareness of childhood cancers.
Last year, the charity took ownership of Giddo’s Gaff, a static caravan in Porthmadog, North Wales, for families who have a child with cancer, or who have been bereaved, to have a break free of charge. It took five years to raise money for the facility, with National Lottery funding covering the ground fees and utilities for the first year. More than 60 families have used the caravan to date.
Mandy said: “I feel honoured and overwhelmed to be nominated as everything I do is out of my love for my son. Any award would be for all those battling cancer and the lives lost. The treatment is brutal. I am so proud of how Jordan dealt with everything, with a smile on his face. How far the charity has come is as a consequence of his kind, caring personality, and determination to get better outcomes for those battling childhood cancer.”
During the summer, a panel made up of representatives of The National Lottery and partners from across the UK will decide the winners in each of the individual categories. Winners will be revealed in the Autumn and will receive a £5,000 cash prize for their organisation and a coveted National Lottery Awards trophy.