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Local heroes' award for Omagh group that helps people live with trauma

THE Wave Trauma Centre in Omagh, which offers support to people who have been bereaved and traumatised by the troubles in Northern Ireland, has received a prestigious award for its work.
Volunteers, Mrs. Rosaleen Mulholland and Mrs. Jean Caldwell, who run the centre, were presented with the Nationwide Award for Voluntary Endeavour at a ceremony in Belfast last week.
The centre, which is based in Old Market Place, was one of six regional winners of the award in Northern Ireland two groups and four individuals.
A total of 80 winners from across the United Kingdom have been chosen, and from these, four will be selected from each region to go forward to attend a national gala awards ceremony at the House of Commons in October.
Organised by Nationwide, in association with the NCVO and the Newspaper Society, the awards, now in their second year, are designed to reward and recognise the 'local heroes' in the community, whose voluntary work or community activity has made a real difference to people's lives.
WAVE was set up in Belfast in 1991, and then established an office in Armagh. The Omagh and Fermanagh areas were being serviced from Belfast and Armagh, and moves were afoot to set up a base in Omagh-when last August's bombing happened.
That precipitated matters, and the charity set up an office in the emergency Trauma Centre in High Street in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity. When the trauma centre moved to Campsie, WAVE moved to an office there, before finding its current premises.
Mrs. Mulholland and Mrs. Caldwell volunteer three days a week at the centre, attend meetings and make home visits at the weekend or evenings when needed.
A spokesman for the Nationwide Building society described them as "dedicated volunteers", who helped and befriended a great number of adults, young people and children.
"The Omagh bomb in August 1998 had a devastating impact on the community, and Jean and Rosaleen gave their time to listen, support and help those affected initially based in the emergency centre," he said.
"Both women helped to find a safe and secure centre where these people could come to for help, at a time when the community needed the support. They helped paint the centre and develop a safe and conducive environment for people to.
"WAVE relies on its volunteers, and the work it does in Omagh would not have been sustained without the help of Jean and Rosaleen."
Privileged
Speaking this week, Mrs. Mulholland said they both felt very privileged to receive the award, but did not believe they were worthy of it.
"We came into WAVE to try and help people in any way possible. It was a total shock for us to be nominated, and we still don't know who put our names forward," she said.
"My relationship with WAVE goes back to a friend of mine whose husband was murdered. She was helped by WAVE and she then went on to help others, and I, too, became involved," she explained.
Mrs. Mulholland, who is originally from Belfast, but who has lived in Omagh for the past 19 years, said the centre was particularly busy at the moment.
"We are very busy now in the run-up to the anniversary of the bomb. Reality is really just starting to settle in, and people are realising that those who were killed will not be coming back," she said.
Mrs. Mulholland and Mrs. Caldwell received a plaque and £100 worth of leisure vouchers as part of the award.
Commenting on the Northern Ireland regional winners, Nationwide's retail operations director, Mr. Philip Williamson, said: "It is extremely difficult to choose six winners from such a large number of excellent nominations.
"However, after much deliberation, the judges have selected six outstanding winners. The aim of this award is to recognise and reward all their hard work - which is usually unpaid and which all too often goes unnoticed."
The four national award winners, to be announced in October, will receive £500 worth of gifts, together with a £2,500 donation to the charity or cause of their choice, and a trophy.
Other finalists will receive £250 worth of gifts, a trophy, and a £500 donation to a charity.