Glenwood resident is honoured by Queen

FOR almost three decades, Illa Thompson has run Publicity Matters – a multi-award-winning Durban-based, women-owned business specialising in media liaison, public relations and publicity.

Publicity Matters is best known for working in the area of civic events: social justice, faith and social cohesion, arts and culture – once-off events, and ongoing campaigns.

She is the Denis Hurley Centre pro-bono publicist and media liaison officer and one of the longest-servicing members of the DHC management – having done publicity and media work for the organisation since long before it was built as part of the fund-raising initiative, up until the present day.

ALSO READ: Meet the queens of the Cape Malay koeksister

For the past three years, she has run the Denis Hurley Centre Street Lit Book project where more than a dozen homeless / formerly homeless, rehabilitated, unemployed men and women earn a modest living from selling pre-read books in busy city places.

The Denis Hurley Street Lit Book project is hosted by St John’s Ambulance and Eye Care in the Durban CBD.

St John is a global movement delivering first aid, care and similar services, through a dedicated team of over 250 000 volunteers and staff, in over 40 countries and territories. It is open to those of any faith and no faith who are prepared to share in its mission.

The well-known publicist and philanthropist has recently been recognised for the work she has done in publicity and outreach for the St John’s Ambulance Foundation.

Thompson explains that the St John’s Ambulance Foundation falls under the Order of St John – a global chivalric order of which Queen Elizabeth II is the Sovereign Head.

“Those candidates who are selected promote humanitarian and charitable work and personify the ethos of St John which is all about the spiritual and moral strengthening of mankind. The medal was in appreciation of the work I have done in publicity and outreach for St John’s in KZN, and the connection between the Denis Hurley Centre and St John’s – as St John’s hosts our Street Lit book-selling project,” she said.

ALSO READ: Umbilo community tackles illegal dumping

The Glenwood resident says that charity work gives her great joy, enormous satisfaction and a sense of purpose. “It allows me to spend time with astonishing people working on extraordinary things.”

Thompson says she is enormously grateful to have been honoured in such a way. “I was enormously chuffed and excited. But I think I only understood the magnitude of the honour when I attended the Investiture Ceremony in Johannesburg on the weekend. I experienced first-hand the sense of gravitas, tradition and phenomenal history of what it means to be a Member of the Most Venerable Order of The Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.”

She was presented the award at a special ceremony at the beautiful St George’s Anglican Church in Parktown, Johannesburg on Saturday, August 20. “I was presented my medal by Reverend Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town, representing the Priory for South Africa,” she said.

Thompson says her philanthropy work will continue. “My plans are no different to what they were before the investiture – I plan to carry on doing what I love to do. It does feel truly fabulous to have been acknowledged in this way though!”