Ferbane mother earns Offaly Family Carer of the Year award

Family Carers Ireland, the national charity supporting Ireland’s family carers has announced that this year’s Netwatch Offaly Family Carer of the Year is Angela Locke-Reilly from Ballyclare, Ferbane.

Angela cares for her son Jacob (16), who has Down Syndrome, is non-verbal and a wheelchair user. She devotes every second of her life to not only caring for Jacob, but to making the world a better place for children with disabilities and their families.

Alongside her caring role, Angela works for Inclusion Ireland and is one of the founders of Áirc, a charity for children and young adults with disabilities. Áirc now has two branches and Angela runs the Midlands branch, providing support and offering fun, memorable experiences for many families.

In her nomination, her sister Siobhan described Angela as the strongest person she knows, her biggest role model in life and someone who inspires her beyond belief.

Now in their 17th year, the awards seek to honour all family carers while shining a light on the urgent need for greater recognition and support of those who go above and beyond in caring for their loved ones, often without the necessary support from the State including appropriate financial compensation, respite and vital therapies for their loved ones.

There are over 500,000 family carers in Ireland caring for children or adults with additional needs, physical or intellectual disabilities, frail older people, those with palliative care needs or those living with chronic illnesses, mental health challenges or addiction.

Family carers play a critical role in our society and each week provide 19 million hours in unpaid work. If the State were to seek to replace this support, it would cost an astonishing €20 billion annually.

Family Carers Ireland local Community Support Manager Beth Wogan highlighted the significance of the recognition.

“Each year, the Netwatch Family Carer of the Year awards remind us of the vital role that family carers play in our society and shine a light on the incredible work that they do, which is too often unseen and unrecognised. As a society, we must do much more to ensure that family carers are properly recognised, valued and supported to care safely for their loved ones at home.”

Netwatch Brand Ambassador and Irish rugby legend Mick Galwey emphasised the importance of recognising this work.

“I’ve seen the dedication family carers show day after day, often without any acknowledgement. Whether it's a mother caring for a child with additional needs or a young carer supporting a parent, the commitment and love they show is truly inspiring.

“These awards offer us all a chance to give something back and to let these carers know we see their struggles and their strength.”