William Keown trust Award for Lettercreeve lady

A BALLYMENA woman who plays a major role in the life of her local community despite a painful and debilitating medical condition has been recognised for personal achievement with a William Keown Trust Award.

Maureen McDowell from Belleville, Lettercreeve, received the coveted Flogas Shield - one of three special trophies in the Adult Achievement Category during a special presentation ceremony recently staged in North Down at which the awards were presented by Trust President Kate Smith formerly of UTV and local entertainer Gene Fitzpatrick.

The gathering heard that when Maureen was diagnosed with her condition, which occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system causing muscle weakness, she was unable to walk and had to rely on her wheelchair for mobility. Although she is still in extreme pain she has battled against the odds to get her mobility back.

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Maureen plays a major role in the life of her local community and volunteers in a number of roles and is involved in the social Network Programme in association with the Cedar Foundation.

She was one of 66 nominations which were received from across Northern Ireland and beyond for this year’s awards aimed at highlighting once again how people with disabilities have conquered the various difficulties and challenges they face.

The William Keown Trust, an independent registered charity, was set up to recognise the personal achievements of people with disabilities and create community awareness that disability does not mean inability, over the past 31 years the Trust has acknowledged more than 2500 people, some of whom were born with their disability and others whose disability was as the result of an accident.

The Trust deputy chairman Philip Beattie was delighted to welcome over 250 guests to help celebrate the achievements of the award recipients. Listening to the citations being read, many were moved by the courage and determination shown by each and every nominee.

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Bill Keown, Trust Chief Executive and Founder had a special message and word of encouragement for the guests which included award nominees, their families and friends, mayors and chairpersons from a number of councils and members of the community who made the original nominations and without whom the awards would not be possible.

He referred to the valuable impact that people with disabilities and their families had on the economy, saying that it is now government policy to encourage people with disabilities away from the benefit system and into employment where personal satisfaction and aspirations are achieved as part of a productive society.