Donations made in Maura's honour
On 29th June, we shared the terribly sad news that Accord Principal Executive Council member, Maura Kelly had passed away after a short but difficult period of illness.
Maura was a hugely popular member of the Executive Council and was well known in the Gasworks site in Belfast for the great work she did for her colleagues and Accord over the years.
Accord secured £5,000 from the trades unions charitable trust (THE T U U T CHARITABLE TRUST) to make donations in Maura’s memory.
In accordance with Maura’s family’s wishes, the available funds were shared between two foodbanks in East and West Belfast respectively to honour the contribution Maura made to cross community relations in Accord and in Lloyds Banking Group.
Tributes to Maura
The Director of the Dundonald Foodbank, Rodney Campbell, said:
“Thanks to your generosity it’s our intention to use the money to provide a voucher to families that will enable them to purchase meat from a couple of our local community butchers. We estimate that this scheme will run from the start of November and last through to Christmas. Up to 130 families in need will be helped in this way. Once again please thank everyone concerned for their generous support.”
Pastor Tony Meehan from The West Belfast Foodbank said:
“Since West Belfast Foodbank was established in 2014 by our local Charity West Belfast Projects, we have been championing for those families across our communities struggling with poverty, low income and crisis situations. Up until Covid we were totally dependent on public & corporate donations of both food and funds. Last year alone we supported nearly 4,000 families with food parcels & our Covid response meal project.
We are very appreciative to the family of Maura Kelly and to the members of Accord for the generous donation of £2,500. This has been a difficult year for everyone; the cost of living is rising, we are seeing shortages in our shops and people are struggling. The Foodbanks are here to help in a crisis but also to give and signpost other help and support. This donation will keep our van on the road for the next year or two so we can assist more families in crisis. It will help with 43% of children & their families in West Belfast who live on or below the poverty level.
Let’s make a difference together, donate, volunteer & support our local Foodbank. We need to support families struggling so a huge Thank You to the Kelly family & Accord for your support.”
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Accord’s President, Neil Magill said:
“I felt really privileged and proud alongside Accord’s assistant general secretary Jim Fielding to be representing Accord in making a £5,000 cash donation from the trades unions charitable trust to support foodbanks in both East and West Belfast in memory of our late friend and dear colleague Maura.
Hearing stories from both foodbanks on the day about the difference the donations will make to so many families across both sides of the community in Northern Ireland was truly humbling.
It was lovely to be accompanied on the day by Maura’s husband Laurence and daughter Cora to help make the presentations. I have no doubt that Maura would have been bursting with pride at the difference Accord is making to families across Northern Ireland.”
