Local woman awarded RSA Leading Light Award
Edweena Farrell, from Youth Work Ireland Midlands and Westmeath Comhairle na nÓg was recognised for her work at the recent RSA Leading Light Awards ceremony in Dublin.
Edweena was awarded the Secondary Education award after hosting a large road safety event for young people in the Midlands.
In collaboration with Westmeath Comhairle na nÓg, Edweena consulted with 300 young people in 2018 and identified the need to take action to address the issue of being safe on the roads for Westmeath teenagers.
This led to the idea of hosting a large road safety event for young people in the Westmeath region. The aim of the event was to provide teenagers with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to become responsible and safe road users. The goal was to reduce collisions, injuries and fatalities, ultimately making our roads safer for everyone.
Edweena went above and beyond to ensure that the youth-led event was engaging, interactive, challenging and thought-provoking. A total of 1,200 young people attended the event from 19 schools across Westmeath and the feedback from the students themselves, and their teachers was excellent.
The event is held in Athlone Town Stadium and is supported by the Westmeath Independent's parent company, Celtic Media, and by Westmeath County Council.
Meanwhile, Leo Lieghio from Westmeath's Irish Road Victims Association received the ‘Special Recognition’ Award to acknowledge his work and commitment in the promotion of road safety. Since the tragic loss of his daughter Marsia, in a hit and run collision in 2005, Leo has tasked himself with working hard to educate the public and highlight the importance of safety on our roads to ensure other families are spared such a devasting loss of life.
Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, said: “I want to congratulate everyone who received an award today. I’d also like to thank you for your passion, commitment and the incredible effort dedicated to making our roads safer for all road users. I recently attended the launch of the Christmas and New Year’s road safety appeal at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, where we heard from survivors of road traffic collisions. 2023 has been an incredibly difficult year on Irish roads and their testimony served as an additional reminder of why it is so important that people embrace road safety education efforts in their communities.”
Chairperson of the RSA, Liz O’Donnell, presented the awards saying: “Every year, we at the Road Safety Authority are delighted to be given this opportunity to recognise those doing inspiring work and ensuring the road safety message is spread throughout schools, communities, organisations and beyond. I want to thank this year’s winners for all they have accomplished to date. They are great reminders that small actions can make a big difference on our roads and can save lives, no matter how old or young you are, you can make a difference.”
A total of twelve category and one Special Recognition award were presented by the RSA to individuals and organisations to honour their commitment and dedication to road safety.