MU Diocesan President is a ‘Woman of the Year’
Congratulations to Down and Dromore’s outgoing MU Diocesan President, Roberta Rogers, who has become the Belfast Telegraph’s ‘Woman of the Year’ in the Voluntary Sector.
Roberta received her award on 5 December at a gala event in the Ramada Hotel, Belfast and is pictured below with BBC presenter, Wendy Austin. She was nominated by a fellow parishioner of St Columba’s, Knock.
Roberta works full time in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, presently in finance, but it is of course for the voluntary work fitted around her job and family life that she has been honoured. She is a tireless fundraiser for charities and her monthly tea and coffee events have raised around £7000 in the last 10 years for a wide variety of deserving causes.
However, Roberta’s positive influence has been most keenly felt throughout her 27 year membership of Mothers’ Union in which she has served at all levels. When she became Diocesan President in 2007 her vision was, “to broaden project work at branch level and support projects for young people”. She wanted members to “get their hands dirty”!
Roberta built on existing MU initiatives and worked closely with the membership to support those less fortunate in their community and abroad. During her presidency she initiated several new projects: the regular provision of basic items to two Women’s Aid Centres in Bangor and Newry; recycling to generate funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind and supporting the ‘House of Hope’ project in Dromore which works with single mums and families in need.
It is however the challenging work which members will continue in the Women’s Prison at Hydebank Wood that Roberta counts as her most important legacy as President. Her vision was to alleviate the hardship of inmates’ families and to give the prisoners a sense of self–esteem and value. This is happening through MU prison visits to those who have no close relatives and craft and cookery classes which allow prisoners to be creative and provide gifts to family members. MU has also provided swings and a slide for use in the garden for prisoners’ extended family visits. These initiatives are appreciated by both the prisoners and the Governor and there is on–going work with the Prison Chaplain to allow MU members to join them in their regular worship at particular times such as Advent, Easter, Harvest and Mothers’ Day.
“I am absolutely delighted and privileged to receive this award,” said Roberta. “It represents a wonderful end to my tenure as Diocesan President of the Mothers’ Union in Down and Dromore and is worthy recognition of the hard work of the 1,800 Mothers’ Union members throughout the Diocese who continually help those in the margins of society. I am also very grateful to the parishioners of St Columba’s, Knock for their generous support in fund raising for so many worthy causes over the years and the difference this has made to so many lives.”
“I’m thrilled to hear that Roberta Rogers has been awarded the Belfast Telegraph award for ‘Woman of the Year’ in the voluntary sector,” said Bishop Harold. “What a way to finish you term as diocesan president of the Mothers’ Union. Roberta has served with a great mix of warmth and reliability and has kept the Mothers’ Union firmly rooted in the community through a wide range of projects. Congratulations, Roberta, and thanks for all you have done.”
Roberta and the other winners will be featured in a Belfast Telegraph Special Woman of the Year Supplement next Wednesday 12 December.