Inspiring NI teens hailed by Prime Minister
Triple transplant recipent and wildlife activist at forefront of UK campaign
TWO inspirational teenagers from Northern Ireland have been praised by Prime Minister Theresa May.
Lucia Mee and Dara McAnulty are both ambassadors for #iwill — a UK-wide campaign that aims to make social action part of life for as many 10 to 20-year-olds as possible by the year 2020.
Lucia (18) from Ballycastle and Dara (14) from Castlewellan were selected as ambassadors for this year’s #iwillWeek.
Lucia is the founder of Live Loudly Donate Proudly, a campaign that raises awareness about organ donation.
She received three life-saving liver transplants before the age of 17 and was just eight years old when she had her first transplant.
In 2015 Lucia teamed up with ‘Fixers’, a charity that gives young people the chance to create a media campaign, to share the story of her organ transplant and inspire others to donate.
Her aim is to create spaces where people feel comfortable having difficult conversations about death, dying and illness,
so that they know the wishes of their loved ones.
Dara, meanwhile, has created a wildlife blog to encourage other young people to support their local environment.
As an autistic teenager, Dara realised that developing a therapeutic connection with nature helped him manage his anxiety, inspiring him to engage other young people with the benefits of nature.
He has been a driving force behind the Grassroots Challenge run by Ulster Wildlife, making videos to encourage young people to participate in conservation and get outdoors.
He recently worked with naturalist and Springwatch presenter Chris Packham on The People’s Walk for Wildlife campaign, speaking to 10,000 people at Hyde Park about conservation.
Both have now drawn praise from the Prime Minister. In a personal letter to Lucia, Mrs May said: “By bravely sharing the story of your three liver transplants, you are encouraging others to talk openly about organ donation.
“You should feel very proud of how your Live Loudly Donate Proudly campaign is helping young people to feel comfortable discussing this important issue with family and friends.”
Mrs May’s letter to Dara said: “Through your award-winning Young Fermanagh Naturalist blog, you are encouraging young people to support their local environment and learn about the importance of conservation.
“Your writing is raising awareness of how nature can help people cope with autism and you should feel proud of this is truly remarkable achievement.”
Lucia and Dara are also the latest recipients of the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others.
Each day someone in the UK is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements.
The pair were presented with their awards at the #iwillWeek event held at Kew Gardens by Lord Gardiner.
The annual #iwillWeek ran from Monday to Friday last week. It provides an opportunity for the 900 cross-sector partners of the campaign to join together to celebrate the impact young people are having on communities across the UK, and to champion the voices of young people making a difference.