A Hull woman has received a prestigious medal in recognition of her work in the community. Ashleigh Hirst BCAh, from Kingswood, was bestowed with the British Citizen Award in Healthcare at London’s Palace of Westminster on Thursday.
Ashleigh is the co-founder of two charities that serve the Hull and East Yorkshire area. HEY Endo was formed after Ashleigh battled symptoms of endometriosis for many years before she was finally diagnosed in 2017.
Last year, HEY Endo distributed 11,604 sanitary products to tackle period poverty locally. It has also created the first-ever workplace charter for endometriosis, aimed at make working easier for women living with the chronic pain condition.
(Image: Supplied)
Ashleigh also co-founded the charity Doreen’s with her mum, which celebrates its first anniversary on Saturday, July 26. Dooren’s (Delivering Our Range of Everyday Essential Needs) provides free maternity care packages to women via community midwives at Bransholme Health Centre and is named in honour of Ashleigh’s grandmother Doreen.
Ashleigh found out about the British Citizen Award in May, but could not tell anybody until later in July. She said: “It was amazing. I just can’t really quite believe that the work we do at two small Hull charities has been recognised in amongst everyone else up and down the country.
“I was one of 27 yesterday. It’s just the most humbling thing I’ve ever done.”
The presentation day involved a meal, cake, and drinks at the Palace of Westminster. Ashleigh said it was the perfect way to recognise the work people have done in their communities and added she “still can’t quite believe it’s happened”.
(Image: Supplied)
Ashleigh is currently fundraising for both charities on Just Giving. Describing what Doreen’s does, she says: “We create care packages that we give to vulnerable people and families in the Hull area.
“Living in one of the most deprived areas in the UK, we are asked to help with a wide variety of things. Recently, we’ve given food parcels, clothing bags, toys for families of household fires, packed lunches, maternity bags and helped with supporting victims of domestic violence.”
HEY Endo CIO also celebrated its first anniversary recently, on June 28. It is described as a charity “committed to helping people with the symptoms of Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, PCOS and other gynaecological conditions”.
Having launched the UK’s first Workplace Charter for endometriosis in March 2025, they are currently working on their ‘Endo-cation’ project. This will take their awareness programme into secondary and further education settings.
While there is a long way to go, Ashleigh said she is coming across “more and more people who have heard of endometriosis”. She said: “We are doing our job and getting the word out there.”
At the time of writing, the Just Giving fundraiser has reached 38 per cent of its £500 target. Donations are still open.