Hugo's fitting tribute to fundraiser Phyllis

Mrs Woodside, who passed away in April, was well-known locally as a tireless fundraiser.

Mourners at her funeral heard she raised £45,000 for various charities including Alzheimer’s Research, Chest Heart and Stroke, Diabetes Research, Harefield Hospital (heart transplant research), Help for Heroes, McCrea Memorial Trust Fund, Multiple Sclerosis, Neonatal Unit RVH/BCH, Parkinson’s Disease and Royal British LegionPoppy Appeal.

She put her singing skills to good use and with the help of Dave Lee she made a CD with proceeds raising over £12,000 for diabetes.

Her CD was so popular that after a few years she made a second with proceeds going to help Children’s Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s.

Each received over £2,500 for their funds, and her third CD for Help for Heroes raised £4,000 for that charity.

When she was just nine years old, her family said she was given a collecting card at school and managed to collect a total of 15 shillings for the Cripples Institute, the highest sum in the school at Loanends.

In the 1950s, the family moved to Newtownabbey and later worked at the Standard in Monkstown.

Phyllis met her husband James when he was working at her mum’s house in Rathcoole.

They started married life in Prospect Park in Carrick and Woodburn Villas and finally, Prospect Downs.

Her family said that Phyllis was “always singing” and anywhere she went she was always asked to sing. She sang all over Northern Ireland and often sang in care homes along with the late Tommy Robinson and in Carrick’s Prospect House.

In February, when her health declined, she was admitted to the Macmillan Unit at Antrim Hospital.

It was a real boost for both her, the family and the nurses when country star and radio presenter Hugo Duncan came to visit and the pair enjoyed a singsong.

Hugo was top of the bill at Friday at Friday evening’s country music tribute show where he was joined by guests including Susan McCann.