Age UK fundraiser wins a Pride Of Britain award
Published on 07 October 2013 09:30 AM
Jean Bishop, who has raised more than £92,000 for Age UK Hull, has been named as Fundraiser of the Year at the Pride of Britain Awards 2013.
Known to everyone as 'The Bee Lady' because of her eye-catching outfit, 91-year-old Jean has been fundraising for Age UK Hull since 1999.
Jean went to a craft class run by Age UK Hull, following the death of her husband, and was so impressed by the difference the charity had to older people, she asked to borrow the now-famous 'bee' outfit and go collecting with a tin.
Eventually, her daughter made Jean her very own bee outfit using 3 hula-hoops and some fur, and Jean has now become Age UK Hull's mascot.
Olympic torch
'There's no stopping Jean,' says Pam Hall, from Age UK Hull. 'Sometimes we ask her to take a break, but she just doesn't take no for an answer.'
In 2012, she briefly swapped her bee costume for a tracksuit as she became an Olympic torchbearer, as the flame reached Hull.
Jean has spent more than 1,000 hours rattling her collection box and even a fall a couple of years ago didn't stop her from collection.
'The aim is £100,000,' says Jean. 'Then I'll start all over again.'
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