Vicki Ewart (second from left) along with Action Cancer Peer Mentor Team, AONTAS representative and RTÉ Sports Commentator and Presenter, Marty Morrissey

Ballyward local Vicki Ewart who volunteers with Action Cancer has won a prestigious AONTAS STAR Award 2017 recognising the difference she makes to the lives of those with cancer.  The STAR Awards (Showcasing Teamwork, Awarding Recognition) are an awards initiative coordinated by AONTAS as part of the annual Adult Learners' Festival to acknowledge the fantastic work undertaken by adult learning initiatives throughout Ireland. The awards celebrate the positive contribution that these initiatives make to individual adult learners, local communities and wider society.

Vicki, as part of a group of peer mentors received her award in the category of ‘Mentor Support for Cancer Patients and their Families’. Vicki, who herself was diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months ago says, "I have a lot to thank Action Cancer for. The Peer Mentoring Programme is a fantastic programme - it was inspired to help people like myself that have suddenly had their lives changed forever with a cancer diagnosis. Training to be a Peer Mentor enabled me to get my head around what I had just been through for the last 18 months and the changes I was now facing ahead. It is so nice to help other people starting or going through their cancer journey and being able to give them an honest answer to questions they may have and let them know that there is help available, no matter how small, when they need it most."

Action Cancer’s Peer Mentoring Programme is available to cancer patients and their families throughout Northern Ireland. It is a confidential volunteer led support service that can be offered face to face or over the phone, whatever suits the client. Clients are matched to mentors who have been through their own cancer experience and who are now through the other side and ready to share their story in a supportive way to someone who needs their help.

Action Cancer Peer Mentors all have training accredited by the Open College Network which is designed to allow learners to identify their own strengths throughout their journey and how others can learn and gain support from these. It also allows the person to reflect back on their experience and become more self-aware of their own triggers and emotions so they feel emotionally capable of supporting others in similar circumstances.

Commenting on the award winners, Elizabeth Boyd Support Officer at Action Cancer says, “The AONTAS STAR Award is an amazing recognition of the time and effort our volunteer mentors give to such a worthwhile programme. It is an acknowledgement of the hard work and motivation of the team and also the contribution the mentoring is making to communities. Part of the award process includes providing evidence of how the project impacts on the wellbeing of the community and a recent evaluation was able to showcase this to the judging panel, along with the fantastic input of the mentoring team who attended this interview.”

If you or anyone you know would like to access Action Cancer’s award winning Peer Mentoring Service, please contact Elizabeth Boyd, Services Support Officer on 028 9080 3355 or at eboyd@actioncancer.org.