A KIND-hearted woman from Redditch has been honoured by Macmillan Cancer Support at their annual Volunteer Awards.

50-year-old Sonia Tudor has been a dedicated Macmillan volunteer for 18 years after her mum died of bowel cancer in 2002 and her family were supported by the charity.

After she lost her father to lung cancer in 2010, Sonia’s role as a volunteer broadened. She is now a fundraising, practical and emotional support volunteer, forum volunteer, community volunteer and secretary of her local committee.

Every year, she runs multiple marathons and fun runs, but last year, on her 50th birthday, she ran 50 miles in one day to raise money for Macmillan. Her non-stop feat took just under nine hours and raised over £3,000.

Sonia was presented with the charity’s national Douglas Macmillan Volunteer of the Year Award earlier this month, beating volunteers from across the whole of the UK. The award is given to volunteers who used their influence to make a significant impact in their area.

Sonia said: "I was absolutely speechless when I found out about the award and then I cried like a baby.

"To have won the regional one was incredible but when they told me I’d got the national one too I was blown away.

"I haven’t been a volunteer with Macmillan for 18 years because of awards or recognition, so to be honoured in this way is truly humbling.

"I hope my parents are looking down proudly at their daughter. It’s a huge honour and I’m absolutely delighted."

As a volunteer with Worcester Volunteer Buddies, her speciality is end of life support, where she uses her experience to help families come to terms with what is happening.

Niki Cooper, volunteering services coordinator who nominated Sonia for the award, said: "Sonia has such a talent – not just with the person affected by cancer but also their families – she instantly can empathise with them and this puts them at ease to ask any questions they have, and if Sonia doesn’t know the answer she will always find out and go back to them.

"Sonia is truly amazing and I am so happy to say she is in our team “