AN 85-YEAR-OLD woman has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her charity work.

Jane Reid, known as Jean Holloway, has raised £34,000 in memory of her husband, Walter Holloway, who she would have been celebrating her 64th wedding anniversary with today.

Walter sadly died at 74-years-old in 2007 after a blood test revealed he had prostate cancer, leaving Jean heartbroken by the loss.

Now she keeps busy by organising innovative ideas to raise awareness, including fashion shows, bag packing, and "guess the birthday" events.

Glasgow Times:

Jean told The Glasgow Times: “I would rather have my husband back than the award which goes without saying, but it is still very special and means a lot.

“I was completely shocked to get the honour and it has been a hard secret to keep. I don’t think it has really sunk in yet.

“Prostate Cancer UK nominated me for all the fundraising I have done which has raised £34,000 for the charity.

“I love to organise and keep busy. I haven’t been able to during Covid but now as things get back to normal I have been able to get back at it.

“It gives me a purpose now since losing Walter and has been so good for me.

“We would have been married 64 years now. I met him at work when I was 17 but my father made me wait until I was 21 to get married.

“We used to go golfing a lot together. He really loved it and I thought if you can’t beat them join them.

“If he wasn’t playing golf he was in the garden. It was very hard to lose him but good to know he did not suffer for long.”

Glasgow Times:

Jean, from Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, is a committed ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK, attending many functions in order to raise the profile of the illness.

This includes football games, and golf tournaments at the club where Walter was once captain.

She sits as the only female on the charity’s golf committee and is a willing speaker at many men’s groups, businesses and local community groups, her aim being to raise awareness and discuss the importance of self-examination.

Jean also offers one-to-one support to those affected by this disease.

Glasgow Times:

In 2018, she united with other widows to promote Prostate Cancer UK’s ‘March for Men’ event in Glasgow, attracting press coverage for the charity.

She regularly volunteered in the charity’s local office providing the staff with administrative help, and was said to be a motivating and positive influence on them and the other volunteers.