Enniskillen woman Genevieve Irvine, the founder of SWELL – Supported We Live Life, said she is “shocked” and “delighted” to have been recognised with a BEM for her services to people affected by cancer in County Fermanagh in The King’s Birthday Honours.

“I’m just shocked and delighted! Delighted for the charity too, for the work that we’re doing here, that it’s being recognised,” said Genevieve, speaking to The Impartial Reporter.

Genevieve was diagnosed with a very rare form of uterine cervical cancer in August, 2015. She finished her treatment in March, 2016, but still goes for check-ups every three months.

“Cancer was a good thing for me because it set me on this rollercoaster. I was passionate about gynae cancer, and I wanted to meet somebody else with the disease, and it just made me go out and I got on patient advocacy groups.

“I wanted to find the best oncologist in the world, because my cancer is extremely rare and it’s just led me down this path, and I realised that if I needed help, other people also needed a helping hand too,” said Genevieve, who founded SWELL in 2018, with the charity setting up a permanent base in Enniskillen town centre in 2021.

SWELL strives to ensure that cancer patients, their family, friends and carers do not feel alone, and that sadness, feelings of loneliness and anxiety are addressed in a safe, friendly and confidential environment.

Talking about how SWELL is “growing and growing”, Genevieve noted that she has great plans for the continued development of the charity, which is now supporting more than 500 people from across the Fermanagh area in various ways, from therapies to social groups, and much more.

Last year, Genevieve was recognised with the Platinum Champions Award for her outstanding voluntary activity in the community for SWELL, and after receiving a special invitation, she attended the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, London in May.

She is now over the moon to have been awarded a BEM, and is very grateful for the numerous messages of support she has received following the announcement.

“I’ve had so many messages just wishing me well, which is really nice,” she told this newspaper.