By 
AFTER capturing hearts across the country when she was surprised on ITV’s ‘Lorraine’ last week, Strabane woman, Sarah Harrison, founder of the charity Sarah’s Star, returned to ITV’s Lorraine show this week- before attending the prestigious Woman of the Year Awards in London.
Sarah founded her charity after being diagnosed with an incurable illness. Through Sarah’s Star, she has helped hundreds of families across Northern Ireland and the North East of England navigate life-limiting illness with compassion, dignity, and community support.
One of Sarah’s most impactful projects has been the Death Café – informal, compassionate gatherings where people come together to share experiences of life and death. The charity recently hosted a Death Café in Strabane, which Sarah highlighted on Lorraine on Monday, helping to raise national awareness of the growing movement to normalise conversations about mortality and grief.
Fashion expert Mark Heyes, who visited Sarah’s Star for the Lorraine feature, said, “The minute I walked into Sarah’s Star I could feel the love, warmth and joy that fills the room. Sarah has created something really special.”
Speaking after attending the awards in London, Sarah said, “The whole experience has been magical, from being surprised by Lorraine to walking into a room full of extraordinary women. Joanne and I were glammed up and completely starstruck meeting Christine Lampard, Alison Hammond, Dame Kelly Holmes, Lucy Punch and Carol Vorderman, but what struck me most was how many people wanted to hear about Sarah’s Star. It reminded me how powerful it is to talk about the things that matter – even the hard ones.”
Sarah attended the event with her sister Joanne Dunn, who secretly nominated her for the award. The two enjoyed a special evening celebrating alongside women recognised for their resilience, leadership, and compassion. Joanne said, “Seeing Sarah walk into that room and be recognised for everything she’s done was one of the proudest moments of my life. She’s faced so much but continues to give back to others with strength and compassion.
“The atmosphere on Lorraine’s show and at the awards was pure joy.”