Press Releases

Campaigner Receives Community Relations Highest Award

30th April 2008

Anne Carr and Tony McCusker (Chairman of the Community Relations Council)

A tireless peace campaigner has been inducted into the Community Relations Council’s hall of fame. Anne Carr, who organised women’s peace rallies in the early troubles and is now the head of West Belfast cross-community organisation, Community Dialogue, today (Wednesday  April 30) received CRC’s Community Relations Award for Exceptional Achievement. The award was presented at a CRC event in Belfast’s Europa Hotel this morning as part of Community Relations Week.

Anne Carr helped found Community Dialogue in 1997. After that she was a Women’s Coalition councillor on Down District Council until 2001. Anne was a founder member of the Women’s Coalition and has been centrally involved in efforts to increase female participation in local politics. She was actively involved in the Women Together for Peace movement in the 1990s.

A passionate supporter of integrated education, Anne is chair of the Board of Governors of All Children’s Controlled Integrated Primary School in Newcastle – the first to be established outside of Belfast. She has also been involved in supporting victims of the Troubles and was central to the first working group that led to the establishment of the Bloomfield initiative.

CRC Chief Executive, Duncan Morrow says: “Anne’s positive influence has been felt strongly in many communities across Northern Ireland as she has campaigned for an end to violence, has created opportunities for people in segregated communities to come together and has helped provide important support to many victims of the Troubles.”

“The CR Award for Exceptional Achievement recognises those that have made a major impact in terms of improving community relations in Northern Ireland and who have demonstrated an exceptional, sustained and long-term commitment to community relations work. Anne certainly has and we are delighted to present her with this important award,” Dr Morrow adds.

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Media contact:Chris Harrison, JPR: 028 9076 0066, 077 6641 7550 or chris.harrison@jprni.com