Castledawson woman Stella McGinn receives Great Neighbour Award in BBC Make a Difference Awards
Eight local community heroes from across Northern Ireland – including one from Castledawson – were announced at a special event in the BBC's Blackstaff Studios.
Stella McGinn was the winner in the Great Neighbour Award category in the BBC Make a Difference Awards.
The category, recognising an individual who helps to make their neighbourhood a better place to live or work in, either on a regular basis or through a single act of kindness. was judged by Barra Best.
Stella has turned the devastating loss of her 11-year-old daughter Caitlin-Rose McMullan into a campaign for stronger school bus safety measures.
Through advocacy and community initiatives in her daughter’s memory, Stella continues to support others while campaigning to improve school bus safety across Northern Ireland.
The awards celebrate individuals, groups and animals who go the extra mile to improve the lives of people in their communities. This year’s winners include a young volunteer helping disabled people enjoy live events, a school pupil championing inclusion for neurodivergent children, a mother campaigning for safer school transport and a charity helping families navigate bereavement.
This is the second year of the awards in Northern Ireland and since March, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle have received hundreds of nominations from across Northern Ireland. Four finalists were selected in each of the eight categories by a panel of judges, before one winner in each category was chosen by a dedicated category judge.
All of the shortlisted finalists were invited to the special awards event in the BBC where the winners were announced.