The teen delivering thousands of chocolate eggs to NI hospitals

Girl with brown hair smiling at camera. She has a pair of white bunny ears on her head and is wearing a leather jacket. There are hundreds of coloured Easter egg boxes behind her sitting on a grey sofa. Jasmine Parker

Jasmine collects and delivers thousands of Easter eggs each year

Jasmine has collected and delivered more than 15,000 Easter eggs to hospitals, hospices, nursing homes and food banks over the past nine years.

Dubbed Belfast's Easter Bunny, the 15-year-old had seen rows and rows of chocolates eggs in the supermarkets and wondered if sick children got any sweet treats.

She is one of four finalists in this year's fundraising category of the BBC Make a Difference Awards which are given to an individual or group of people who have gone the extra mile to raise funds.

This year is the first time the awards have been held across the UK.

A little girl is standing beside four hospital staff members. They are all holding Easter eggs and smiling at the camera. The background is a hospital corridor with white walls and wooden doors. Jasmine Parker

Jasmine says she's "honoured to be nominated" but couldn't have done it without everyone's help over the years

Jasmine's journey as the Belfast Easter Bunny began aged six when she asked her mum if she could deliver eggs to children spending Easter in hospital.

"Seeing the sick children in hospital happy, just makes me feel really happy," she said.

"I like seeing people come together, I like seeing how many kind-hearted people are in the world we live in."

Last year, Jasmine delivered more than 4,000 chocolate eggs.

"We count how many each hospital will get and see how many are left to see if we can distribute them anywhere else," she said.

The teenager hopes to mark the 10th anniversary of her appeal by delivering more eggs than ever - perhaps even reaching a mouth-watering 10,000 eggs.

She also delivers treats to emergency services at Christmas with her annual efforts, which are supported by public donations and local businesses.

A young man with glasses is wearing an orange t-shirt and black jacket. He is standing looking at boxes of cakes and buns with his arms spread out to show the scale of the operation. He is standing in a kitchen. There is a glass double door and white curtains in the background. Ryan Bogues

Ryan Bogues has raised more than £80,000 for charities with Ryan's Cookie Box

Another young person who has made the final with his bid to satisfy those with a sweet tooth, is 30-year-old Ryan Bogues' who lives outside Crossgar in County Down.

The baker, who has Down's syndrome, has raised thousands of pounds for charity, baking and selling his sweet treats from a box at the end of his drive.

Ryan, who has been doing this for 10 years, said "it's brill" to be a finalist but his recipes remain top secret.

Ryan's mum Hazel said she is "enormously proud" of what her son has achieved since leaving school.

"The plan really wasn't to make a fortune... it was about the baking, the buying and the banking, all those life skills you learn when it comes to running a business.

"But it grew quite quickly and now we've reached the point where we are making about £10,000 a year.

"The money goes to cover ingredients and packaging, and everything else goes to charity," she said.

Young man smiling at camera. Wearing black t-shirt, black hat, glasses and shorts. The honesty box is pictured beside him. It is a cream white colour and has wooden baskets inside containing produce to sell. The picture is outdoors. Ryan Bogues

Ryan's favourite produce includes caramel squares, cheesecakes and gin truffles

Ryan's love for baking has led to him mentoring students at Mitchell House School in east Belfast.

His journey has also been supported by the local community and a strong social media following.

Hazel said: "You have people who are interested in what's on the menu, Ryan's world, pictures of buns and also people who are maybe on their own journey with young people with learning difficulties.

"It just shows what can be done and what opportunities are out there now compared to a few years ago."

Ryan and Jasmine join two other finalists in the category.

Nathan Pierson, a young fundraiser with autism and verbal dyspraxia, has raised more than £80,000 for local charities over the past 10 years, through various challenges including the Three Peaks Challenge.

Des Kennan, a community volunteer for more than 30 years, established Kildress Care in 1986 and helped develop a community riverwalk, raising more than £220,000 for charity.

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.

Four finalists have been selected by a panel of judges in each of the eight categories ahead of the Northern Ireland final in 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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