Neighbour Award For 'Bombed' Granny

A Belfast granny has taken top billing in the Pride of Britain awards as the UK's best neighbour - despite being repeatedly targeted by bombers for her efforts.

North Belfast's Mary Kelly has dedicated her life to uniting young people in her divided community and has also vowed to continue her work, despite having been attacked with a hammer and suffering two terrifying pipe-bombings on her home.

Mary, 63, works with young people running summer groups and workshops to try and get children off the streets, many of whom would have turned to gangs, violence and paramilitary activity in an area almost equally divided between Catholics and Protestants.

She said: "From when I moved to the area, I saw kids from both sides being sucked into The Troubles at a very young age. I decided we had to get these kids off the streets," she said.

The Mirror newspaper, which runs the accolades, also said that Mary has also campaigned to turn an area of wasteground between the two communities from a bleak no man's land to a public park.

Commenting, SDLP Councillor Nichola Mallon said she is delighted Mary Kelly has won the accolade of 'Neighbour of the Year' in this year's Pride of Britain Awards: "Mary continues to do outstanding community work in north Belfast.

"Time and time again, Mary has had the courage and strength to put her head above the parapet and show true leadership even against a backdrop of attacks on her home," she said this week.

"I am delighted that her caring and compassion commitment to peace and reconciliation particularly among young people in north Belfast has been recognised through this award and I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to her."

She has been a target because of her peace making and Mary's front door was smashed and a window broken at her home on Glandore Avenue in a recent pipe bomb attack on a house.

Mary Kelly said at the time: "I would like to ask these people why, when all I want to do is make this a better place for decent people."

Mary Kelly was woken by the blast at her home which she said: "Had ball bearings in it, so they were obviously out to do some damage with it."

The Community Relations Council condemned the attack on the home of Ms Kelly, a volunteer in a cross community project funded through the group.

This is the second such award for Mary Kelly was also presented with the annual Community Relations Award for Exceptional Achievement at a Community Relations Week event in Belfast earlier this year.

They said she helped maintain the cross community mobile phone network for many years in an attempt to defuse tension and keep contact with neighbours across the interface.

She was also instrumental in setting up a community house as a meeting place for neighbours from the Catholic Glandore and Protestant Skegoneill areas, they said.

More recently she was at the forefront of the establishment of the IFI-funded Skegoneill Glandore Common Purpose project whose vision is a shared community in Skegoneill and Glandore, working together, embracing difference and creating social and economic benefits for all its residents.

In June, after the most recent attack, the culprits were roundly condemned by both Stormont Junior Ministers.

Sinn Fein Junior Minister Gerry Kelly said: "I strongly condemn those cowardly people who left this pipe bomb outside Mary Kelly's home.

"It is always distressing when a family home is attacked but it is even more poignant when it is the home of an individual who has worked tirelessly for her community.

"Mary has worked for the past 30 years, to improve the life experience of her neighbours in the Glandore and Skegoneill area of North Belfast. We send her our support and deep regret that she has had to, yet again, endure such an ordeal," he said.

DUP Junior Minister Robin Newton: "Those responsible have not only put Mary and her family's life in danger but also her neighbours and the community she serves so well.

"Unlike Mary, who has a vision for a shared and better future for everyone, these people have nothing to offer us. Both Junior Minister Kelly and I would like to offer our heartfelt support to her and call on anyone who has any information about this attack to contact the PSNI."

(BMcC/GK)