A North London couple who established an overnight respite project for parents of children with serious illness have been honoured by the Prime Minister.

Camp Simcha supporters Sam and Lee Bladon are the latest recipients of the Points of Light award, recognising those making a change in their communities and inspiring others.

Their daughter Evie was born with severe brain damage and lived with multiple health issues requiring constant care.

The Bladons were supported by Camp Simcha throughout Evie’s short life and after her death in November 2015 began fundraising to set up Evie’s Night Owls in her memory.

It offers support in the family home, allowing parents to enjoy an evening out and an uninterrupted night’s sleep.

In a letter to the couple, Theresa May wrote that their work “is a truly remarkable way of honouring Evie’s memory. You should be very proud of what you have achieved as a family.”

Neville Goldschneider, Camp Simcha’s chief executive, paid tribute to the couple’s “relentless dedication” to the project.

“All of us at Camp Simcha are grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know their beautiful little Evie. And we are humbled by the way Sam and Lee have taken such heartbreak and created something that will help so many others.”

The Bladons said they were “humbled to receive this recognition. After we lost our beautiful daughter, we wanted to find a way to help others who are facing similar daily battles to the ones we experienced.”