Mums' Support Group 'buzzing' At Award Nomination

A organization group from Omagh has "saved lives" for hundreds of women, its members person said.

Support 2gether offers support and acquisition to mothers who are surviving pinch antenatal and postnatal slump and anxiety.

A finalist successful nan BBC's Make a Difference Awards 2025, nan group was co-founded by Una Leonard on pinch her sister successful consequence to experiencing postnatal slump 17 years ago.

Run by 4 women, nan organisation provides counselling, adjacent support and one-to-one services.

Make a Difference is simply a BBC inaugural seeking to recognise and observe members of nan nationalist who make life amended for others wherever they live.

This twelvemonth is nan first clip nan awards person been held crossed nan UK.

Ciara O'Goan turned to nan kindness for thief earlier giving commencement to her 2nd child.

"They were location done very acheronian times, they are nan logic I'm still here," she said.

She is now portion of nan squad and uses her penetration to thief families successful akin circumstances .

"I've done nan afloat 360 from being wholly ashamed and having a stigma and suffering successful soundlessness to now shouting it from nan tile tops," she said.

"I cognize nan quality Support 2gether tin make. It's a pinhole of hope.

"We person mummys that person told america we've saved their lives."

The kindness was selected by judges arsenic 1 of 4 finalists successful nan Community Group Award, on with:

• Killeeshil and Galbally Community First Responders, which provides emergency aesculapian assistance successful agrarian areas earlier ambulance services arrive. In December 2024 nan group responded to a bosom onslaught incident and helped stabilise nan diligent earlier infirmary transfer.
• Hope House Ireland, which provides free respite stays for big crab patients successful 2 homes astatine Browns Bay. It was founded by sisters Dawn and Jacqueline, some of whom person individual acquisition pinch cancer.
• Sound Friends Deaf Children's Society, a parent-led support group for families of children pinch proceeding loss. It offers connection advocacy, information, family support, acquisition events and inclusive societal activities to thief children and families navigate proceeding challenges

Co-founder Una Leonard said nan Support2gether's activity squad was a "beacon of hope" for nan community.

"I person lived pinch postnatal slump and it has not defined me," she said.

"When a mummy comes to america she is often surviving for nan liking of her babe and astatine nan extremity erstwhile she is surviving for herself, that is mighty."

The kindness supports women done a operation of support and education.

It provides one-to-one support by a perinatal support worker, counselling, talking therapy and peer-to-peer support done workshops and get-togethers.

"There's nary judgement, everybody is suffering thing akin and everyone's journey's different," Ciara said.

She said nan members of nan group were "buzzing" to beryllium nominated.

Una said: "It gives that recognition, that ripple effect done our organization and beyond, and gets group to talk much astir nan illness."

This year's categories include:

• Volunteer Award: For an individual who makes a notable quality to their organization by giving their clip voluntarily to thief others
• Young Hero Award: Given to personification aged nether 16 who has made a affirmative effect successful their organization aliases achieved thing exceptional
• Great Neighbour Award: Presented to a personification who helps to make their neighbourhood a amended spot to unrecorded aliases activity in, either connected a regular ground aliases done a azygous enactment of kindness
• Active Award: For an individual aliases group who person utilized beingness activity aliases athletics arsenic a measurement of improving nan lives of those successful their community
• Animal Award: Either bestowed connected a singular animal that improves people's lives, aliases fixed to an individual aliases group of group who amended nan use of animals
• Green Award: For an individual aliases group who amended aliases conserve their section environment
• Fundraiser Award: Open to an individual aliases group of group who person gone nan other mile to raise costs for a bully cause
• Presented to a group that has helped to alteration nan lives of others wrong their community. This grant is supported by nan BBC show Morning Live.

Four finalists person been selected by a sheet of judges successful each category.

Overall winners from each class will beryllium announced unrecorded connected BBC Radio Ulster's Vinny and Cate show connected Friday 26 September.