Sister Frances Dominica is, as all who know her will testify, a humble person.

Yet behind her calm and reassuring manner lies a veritable tiger – of resolve, tenacity, and sheer gutsy determination.

All of which have helped Sister Frances create a living legacy of love and care, not only here in Oxford, but across Britain and the rest of the world.

In its early days, Helen and Douglas Hospice was a veritable miracle of mind over matter, but since then its message has spread to all corners of the globe, so that now children’s hospices are operating across all five continents.

Sister Frances remains modest. It is not surprising then that when accepting her latest accolade, the Help the Hospices and National Gardens Scheme Lifetime Achievement Award, she chose first to praise others.

She said: “It has been teamwork and I am immensely grateful to all the staff, volunteers and supporters who have brought my original dream to reality.”

Sister Frances has already been awarded an OBE and in 2007 she was named Woman of the Year for her astonishing work.

What an extraordinary woman.