Birchington woman Louise Marie Kilmurray was among 16 Turning Point clients who have been recognised for their courage and resilience to overcome challenges in their lives.
Louise Marie, 46, is supported by Turning Point’s learning disability service.
She was recognised for pushing herself to learn spelling and maths skills and how to use a computer. She has taken the time to do extra work on her own alone using tapes and audiobooks and spent many hours visiting the library to continue her education.
Support staff said: “We all know that learning new skills can be a struggle, but you refused to give up and took yourself out of your comfort zone which has really improved your confidence.
“You’ve shown lots of patience and determination and we’re pleased with how happy you’ve been lately. We know you want to go to a festival one day and really hope you’re able to make that dream come true!”
Louise Marie collected her award at the annual Inspired by Possibility event hosted by Turning Point at the CUBE hotel in Birmingham.
Louise Marie said: “I was so excited. I couldn’t believe I got through. The whole experience was different to any I ever had. Doing the award event and seeing all the other people that were there – it was so heart-warming to hear their stories. I met such lovely people, including Steve. I am now volunteering at Sense. My life is going up and up!”
Turning Point CEO, Julie Bass, paid tribute to all the award winners, saying: “This is the fifth year we have run this recognition scheme to celebrate and share the wide range of inspirational achievements, accomplishments and contributions of the people we support.
“We know how much this recognition can mean to people and how important it is to celebrate the remarkable things they do, particularly when they are faced with a number of challenges and difficulties.
“We support over 165,000 people every year, so to be picked out from such a large population of people is an astonishing achievement. Well done to everyone who has won an award.”