Buea-born Marie-Claire Kofi’s UK charity receives King’s Award for volunteers

Plasma of Hope, a UK charity founded by Buea-born sickle cell advocate Marie-Claire Kofi, has received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for the work of its volunteers supporting families in England’s West Midlands.

The Walsall-based group is one of 250 volunteer organisations named on Saturday, 14 November 2026. The award is the highest honour for a local voluntary group in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE. It recognises the group’s volunteers, rather than an individual award for its founder.

Marie-Claire grew up in Buea, in Cameroon’s South West Region. She lives with sickle cell disease, has survived a stroke and trained as a radiographer. She established Plasma of Hope in 2020, when people shielding during the Covid-19 pandemic struggled to reach appointments and obtain everyday essentials.

Today, its volunteers visit people at home, offer emotional support and help families find their way through health and other services. The charity supports people living with sickle cell disease and thalassaemia, conditions whose effects on family life often continue long after a hospital visit.

Plasma of Hope said in its 2024–25 annual report that it directly supported more than 500 people through workshops, family activities, sports programmes and outreach clinics. More than 100 families received advice and practical help through its Community Fridays initiative. The Charity Commission recorded 70 volunteers for the financial year ending 31 March 2025.

A link back to Buea

Marie-Claire has also set up a separate organisation in Cameroon. The Bravelife Foundation, founded in 2023, works on sickle cell education and support for families in Buea. At a free genotype screening and awareness event in the city in April 2024, more than 70 people were screened, according to Cameroon News Agency.

The need is substantial. The World Health Organization estimated in May 2026 that about 300,000 people in Cameroon live with sickle cell disease. It said patients outside major cities have often faced long journeys to specialised care; a pilot programme is bringing services closer to communities in Mfou and Djoum. The UK award announced this week is for Plasma of Hope’s volunteers, while Bravelife’s work takes place in Cameroon.

Support beyond the clinic

Plasma of Hope’s work includes campaigns to encourage blood donation. It has partnered with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and NHS Blood and Transplant to help people learn their blood type and register as donors, with particular attention to blood types needed by patients of African and Caribbean heritage.

The charity also brings patients’ experiences into healthcare training. It has trained members of Walsall’s School Nursing Team on sickle cell complications and offers community placements to physiotherapy students.

“Our volunteers have continued to show up,” Marie-Claire said in a message marking the award. Thanking those who helped build the charity, she added: “This award belongs to you.”

The University of Wolverhampton awarded Marie-Claire an Honorary Fellowship in July 2026 for her contribution to community health and healthcare education. That was an individual honour; the King’s Award recognises the volunteers who deliver Plasma of Hope’s work.

The charity is due to receive an award crystal and certificate from the local Lord-Lieutenant. Two of its volunteers will be invited to a Royal Garden Party in 2027.

Disclosure: MMI Connect, a company affiliated with MMI News, works with Plasma of Hope on communications.