Sue is made MBE for charity work

Former NHS nurse Sue Mumford has been made an MBE in the New Year Honours list in recognition of her services to palliative care in Ethiopia.
Sue, from Aldborough, is chair of Norfolk-based Hospice Ethiopia UK (HEUK), which raises funds to support Ethiopia’s only hospice.

Sue has been involved in the charity since 2012 when a group of healthcare professionals at Priscilla Bacon Lodge, where she worked, started to support Hospice Ethiopia.

Sue became chair of HEUK in 2016. Since 2012, Sue has visited Ethiopia 13 times, most recently in November 2024 when she and her husband, retired Aylsham doctor Jamie Mumford, helped run a training course in palliative care in the country.

Sue said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition, but this MBE is not just for me – it represents the incredible dedication of everyone at Hospice Ethiopia UK and our partners in Ethiopia.

“Together, we are ensuring that people with life-limiting illnesses can face their final days with dignity, comfort, and compassion. I hope this honour shines a light on the importance of palliative care and inspires further support for this vital work. I couldn’t have done any of this without fantastic support from my husband, family, trustees, and volunteers.”

Hospice Ethiopia was originally founded in 2003 by an Ethiopian nurse, Sister Tsigereda, who was saddened at the number of people who were left to die without adequate care in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. Before that, there was no palliative care in the country.

Over the years, with help from HEUK, the hospice has looked after thousands of patients. It is also a centre of excellence in Ethiopia and beyond, training hundreds of medics.

Support from the UK has been essential in this work, with HEUK raising around £60,000 a year. Trustees claim no expenses for their travel to Ethiopia so that all donations go where they are needed.

Sue works closely with Hospice Ethiopia’s director, Ephrem Abathun, and has monthly calls with him. Jill Morgan, one of HEUK’s trustees, said: “The word ‘tirelessly’ is sometimes overused, but in Sue’s case it’s an understatement. I don’t think there is ever a time when she’s not either doing something for the charity or figuring out ways to progress its vital work. She thoroughly deserves this honour.”

For more information on Hospice Ethiopia, visit hospiceethiopia.org.uk

WORKING TOGETHER: Sue Mumford (left) with Nurse Kalkidan during her recent visit to Hospice Ethiopia.