Woman 'touched' by help from neighbour she only met once

On the left hand side of the picture a woman with short fair hair and wearing sunglasses is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a white top with a green pattern. It is a sunny day and there are flowers in the background and a body of water behind them. On the right hand side of the picture a woman with dark hair is looking at the camera. She is wearing sunglasses.Family handout

Gillian Graham was helped by her neighbour Anju Raju after leaving hospital last year

A Belfast woman said she was "touched" by the help she received from her neighbour, who she had only met once, after taking unwell last year.

Gillian Graham was unable to drive for six months and her neighbour Anju Raju came round to offer her help. Ms Raju said she "didn't do anything" but Ms Graham disagrees.

Ms Graham said even though they'd "only crossed paths once at church", as soon as Ms Raju found out that she'd been in hospital she came round "almost immediately and asked if I needed any help".

Ms Raju has been nominated for a BBC Make A Difference Award in the Good Neighbour category.

"It was such a reassurance to have her nearby and I was so touched by that," said Ms Graham.

Two women are sitting on a summer bench in an area with animal cages behind him. The woman on the left has fair coloured hair in a bob and wears glasses. She is wearing a white t-shirt with a pattern and a pair of khaki coloured trousers. the woman on the right has shoulder length dark hair and is wearing a yellow t-shirt and faded black jeans. Family handout

Gilllian Graham and Anju Raju have lived in the same housing complex for three years but had only met once briefly at a church event

Ms Raju said helping someone when they are ill is part of her culture.

"I'm from India and the neighbours, we help each other, we're kind of like a family."

She also said she is a nurse and believes caring does not stop at the end of a shift.

For Ms Graham, who is a carer for her mum, coming out of hospital was a "very vulnerable time".

She said: "Anju made sure I had enough food, if I needed shopping she was willing to get it for me, she gave me lifts down to my mum's when she was able to."

When she looks back on that time now, Ms Graham said she does not know how she would have managed without her.

"She was like an angel to me."

Three people are sitting at a dining table with paper crowns on their head. The woman on the left has fair hair and is wearing glasses. She is wearing a pale coloured sweatshirt with a green motif. A little boy in the middle has a red paper crown on, has short dark hair and is wearing a yellow long sleeved top with fish on it. A woman on the right of the frame has a blue paper crown and dark hair. They are all smiling at the camera.Family handout

Anju has introduced Gillian to different types of Indian food that she had never tried before

Prior to the hospital stay, the two women had lived in the same complex for three years but only met once at church which Ms Graham believes is "kind of a sad thing" but she thinks they've made up for it now.

"We're not just neighbours anymore" she said, "we're good friends and that means a lot."

She said her friendship with Ms Ranju and her family has "enriched my life immeasurably."

Mrs Raju said she feels very "blessed" to be nominated for the award but "it's not really my story, it's a story of two neighbours" that help each other.

"She's helps me as well, being a new person in a new country, a new culture."

Even though she's away from her family in India Ms Ranju said she feels that she has "someone here as a family".

Who are the other finalists?

Trevor Robinson

A lollipop man at Camphill Primary School in Ballymena who does so much more than help children cross the road safely.

He's a big part of making Christmas special for the pupils and also takes care of the staff too.

In the wider community he helps local people with taking their bins out and cleaning windows for those who need help.

Bridie McCullagh

She's the chairperson of Rouskey Community Centre in Omagh.

Despite dealing with health issues herself, she organises classes, social events and support services for people in the area.

She looks out for people who are house bound, organising dinners to be delivered to their door.

She is also responsible for starting the local Men's Shed and community garden.

A man is dressed in a fluorescent jacket and is holding a lollipop that stops traffic in his hand. He has a green baseball cap on his head and is standing beside a sign for Camphill Primary Schoolfamily handout

Trevor Robinson has been described as a "champion" for his school and community

A woman with short dark hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a peach coloured jacket and has a silver pendant shaped necklace on

Bridie McCullagh organises fundraising events to keep the local community centre running

What is Make a Difference?

Make a Difference is a BBC initiative seeking to recognise and celebrate members of the public who make life better for others where they live.

Since February, BBC teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been asking audiences to nominate the unsung heroes in their local communities who do amazing things.

Finalists have been selected by a panel of judges in each of the eight categories ahead of the Northern Ireland final at the end of September.

The categories are:

  • The Volunteer Awards

  • The Young Hero Award

  • The Great Neighbour Award

  • The Active Award

  • The Animal Award

  • The Green Award

  • The Fundraiser Award

  • The Community Group Award

Overall winners from each category will be announced live on BBC Radio Ulster's Vinny and Cate show on Friday 26 September.

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