Ballynahinch man awarded by Queen

Ballynahinch man awarded by Queen

13 June 2018

A BALLYNAHINCH man has been awarded the BEM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his voluntary service to the community.

Dr Kelvin McCracken is treasurer of Ballynahinch Counselling, which is based at The Hub in the town.

A charity offering a professional counselling service, it is a collaborative project between various community, voluntary and statutory bodies. The organisation was set up in 2012 as a result of concerns about the rates of suicide in the area. 

Born on a farm near Ballywalter in 1942, Dr McCracken went to Regent House and then studied Agricultural Chemistry at Queen’s University. He obtained a PhD at Cambridge before returning to Northern Ireland in 1967 and joining the research side of the Department of Agriculture studying pig, and later also poultry, nutrition.

Dr McCracken and his wife, Evaline, have two grown-up children, Catherine and Paul, and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next week.

Previously living in Lisburn, after retirement in 2002 he continued links with poultry research and was treasurer of WPSA UK (World Poultry Science Association) for eight years. 

Dr McCracken joined First Presbyterian Church, Ballynahinch, in 2000, where he encountered the Rev Mairisine Stanfield, who he describes as a “major driving force” in establishing Project Ballynahinch (PB) in 2010. This was set up to deliver mental health and well being services locally.

“Having had some first-hand experience of the devastating effects of mental illness through a friend whose daughter had developed depression and addiction to preion drugs, I was drawn to wanting to help in this new outreach to our community,” said Dr McCracken.

“Since I had just finished my term with WPSA, I had the necessary experience to take on the job of treasurer and volunteered my services to Mairisine who was the first chairperson.

“From very small beginnings the demand has increased dramatically, year on year, and we have clients not just from the immediate Ballynahinch area but as far as Newcastle, Downpatrick, Carryduff, Dromara and Killinchy and now an annual budget of over £80,000.”

Dr McCracken continued: “We in the Hub are keen to continue to support the needs of the County Down community and welcome all who seek our support.

“Our current chair, Mrs June Wilkinson, took over the role when Rev Stanfield moved to Bangor in 2013. I guess she is the person I have to thank — or blame — for initiating the nomination process.

“However, I am only one small cog in an organisation which depends heavily on volunteers to keep the doors open and facilitate the excellent work of our counsellors.

“I hope that they will all feel connected to this award because the success of PB depends on the enthusiasm and dedication of the whole team and those who helped initiate the project and have moved on to other things. 

“Although PB is a secular organisation there has been a strong element of support from a number of local churches both in terms of funding and volunteering. Apart from PB one of my main concerns is to encourage good community relations. 

“I lead a small group of people from several churches who meet regularly to pray for the Ballynahinch community, and am treasurer of Churches Together — a group of  Ballynahinch Churches which have been cooperating for many years in joint activities.  

“I have also been secretary for over 20 years to the Board of Restoration Ministries, a cross-community reconciliation ministry led by Rev Dr Ruth Patterson, a trustee of Times of Refreshing Ministries, Belfast and for about last five years Ballynahinch area organiser for Christian Aid.”