MBE for a caring woman

MBE for a caring woman

6 January 2016

A DOWNPATRICK woman has been awarded an MBE for both her professional work and her charity fundraising in memory of her late daughter.

Mrs Oonagh Rowden, a supervisor at the Downpatrick Social Security office, received the honour for services to benefit claimants and services to the community and charity in Downpatrick.

Oonagh’s daughter, Jennifer, tragically died following a car crash in Downpatrick in July 2008. She was just 19.

Since then Oonagh has set up the Jenny Rowden Memorial Fund and raised money for the Revive charity, which supports the Regional Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

“We have raised over £8,000 to date,” Oonagh said. “A number of Jennifer’s friends have also organised fundraising events.”

Jennifer spent time in the Royal before she died and Oonagh said she was struck by the limited facilities for families in the ICU.

She said people could be coping with tragedy while others were “laughing and carrying on” nearby. She said this motivated her to try raise money for the unit. “Relatives were just sitting in corridors. There was a lack of privacy.”

Oonagh says that despite the pain she and her family suffered, she is always happy to talk about her daughter.

“The fundraising is also a way of keeping her memory alive.The worst thing for me would be if people forgot about Jenny.”

On how she copes with such grief, she added: “I just keep myself busy. It is better to do that. I had a lot of help from family and friends.”

In her spare time the 54 year-old also works with Down Netball, in which she supports young players from primary school to senior level, and believes this may also be one of the reasons why she was nominated for her New Year’s Honour.

Oonagh is a Customer Enquiry Team supervisor at the Downpatrick Social Security Office. Her name was put forward for the award by her manager, Philomena Lannon.

She began her career in 1992 at the Castle Court office in Belfast. Three years later she was transferred to Downpatrick, working in the public office, then as a benefits trainer and later as a pensions adviser.

“I jumped at that opportunity,” she said. “I love working with people and I loved being out in the community advising people, and seeing they were on the proper benefits.”

In the area she now works in, Oonagh can be dealing with people looking for crisis loans as well as claims for Jobseekers Allowance.

Following rules and regulations while also dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in society is the balancing act Oonagh has to manage.

“Crisis loans are discretionary and we have to adhere to directions and guidelines, she said. “We would have a lot of vulnerable customers and we do have to look at them with empathy.

“I try to put myself in their shoes. You have to try to say, ‘could I do that?’”

Oonagh has clearly been doing a difficult job well, but when she received the letter telling her she was to receive an MBE she didn’t quite believe it.

“I initially thought it was a joke,” she said. “I did think it was fake for a while. I was having a party on New Year’s Eve and was going to tell people then. But the night before the BBC had the names on their website.

“One friend came round in her pyjamas at 11pm wanting to know if I had something to tell her.

“My eldest son then texted me and said: ‘Am I seeing things or are you on a list with Carl Frampton?’

“Not everyone knew so I was able to surprise some people on New Year’s Eve.”

Donations to the Jenny Rowden Memorial Fund can be made via the Ulster Bank in Downpatrick.